Little Butterfly and Fates
by YeonMee
Summary: Time is not to be defied but sometimes grief can make people do the unthinkable.Perhaps he shouldn't have braved the Fates. He loses what he wanted to protect,gains what he didn't desire. Can Little Butterfly win this fight in a world he should not be in?
1. Hogwarts and the Lair

N/A: Hello, everyone. I'm updating a new story and yes, I know I have this bad habit of having plenty of plots swirling in my head and never finishing my fics. But I believe this one will prove to be nice and I will try to finish it. Don't hesitate to harass me if you think I'm letting go of this fic….

I'm using lots of foreign languages here because I simply love foreign languages. I've put a small note at the end of this chapter to help you regarding the names of the characters.

There also is a bit of Old English at the beginning of the chapter. If someone who knows Old English comes across my fic and notices some errors please do tell me. I've "learnt" Old English through small texts read on internet so I'm sure my knowledge is rather poor.

Besides if you notice grammatical or any other error do tell me, I'll be glad to improve my English !!

**

* * *

Hogwarts and the Lair**

**A new start in defiance of the Time**

_

* * *

Even such is Time_

Even such is Time, which takes in trust

Our youth, and joys, and all we have;

And pays us but with age and dust,

Which, in the dark and silent grave,

When we have wandered all our ways,

Shuts up the story of our days:

And from which earth and grave and dust

The Lord shall raise me up, I trust.

Sir Walter Raleigh

**

* * *

4, November 1964. Hogwarts. Infirmary.**

_Dē__st __þū wīllan tō hwæthwegu, mīn bearn? [Do you wish for something, my child?]_

_**....Wh**__**o?**_

_Dē__st þū wīllan tō hwæthwegu, mīn bearn? _

…_**Where….**_

_Dē__st þū wīllan tō hwæthwegu, mīn bearn? _

…_**Who…**_

_Mīn bearn….__þū bist Dryhten… [My child…you will be a prince …]_

…_**Someone….Someone important….**_

_Mīn bearn… Mīn b…_

…_**AÏON !!!! **_

His eyelashes fluttered. His head throbbed. His legs and arms were numb. In fact, he felt like he was not in his body. It was a strange sensation. As if someone had put him in this body. At last, he forced himself to fully open his eyes. His sight was a little blurry but soon the fuzzy forms took shape. He distinguished a mass of brown long hair. He groaned as he felt a sharp pain in his head.

The sudden sound made the wizard turn around to look at him. He barely stifled a gasp. The brown-haired man was Dumbledore! He inwardly chuckled. It was a childish reaction, he knew it. But he had always seen Dumbledore with his long white beard and snow-white hair. It was a little puzzling to see him so … young.

But it was a good thing to see him young. That meant he had succeeded. He had managed to get back nearly 50 years earlier.

"Ah, young man! You're finally awake!"

"Err…yes"

"What's your name, my boy?" Dumbledore asked in a kind, soft voice though it held a slight wary tone.

"Harry Evans"

The answer ran smoothly on his tongue. The _**lie**_ ran smoothly on his tongue. He was not Harry Evans. He was Harry Potter. But Evans was his mother's name. He assumed it would not be a big lie. Just a tiny, very tiny lie. But he could not afford to keep his real name. After all, James Potter was supposed to be here, at Hogwarts. And how would Harry explain his name even though James and he had never really met before? Evans was fine. He would pretend his mother was muggle-born and his father an unknown wizard.

"Do you recall what happened to you?" Dumbledore went on, his demeanor still showing that he was slightly wary of the boy he had never seen before.

"Errr…I don't remember very well. I think I was walking in a forest and then…and then…" Harry put on a distraught face, and fidgeted, scratching his skin above the left wrist with his nails. He noticed his nails had left imprints on the skin which reddened.

His little act seemed to be perfect for Dumbledore stepped closer and put a hand on his wrist. Harry looked up, and avoided drowning in the two twinkling blue pools. If he did, he knew Dumbledore would try to use Legilimency.

"Don't worry, my boy. It's only natural to be a little shaken after such a shock. It seems you've hurt your head pretty badly. We found you in the Forbidden Forest in Hogwarts."

"Err…Hogwarts?"

"Yes. You're a wizard aren't you, my boy?"

"Err yes. It's just that…I don't know why I came here. I'm not a student here."

"Where do you study?"

"…I…I've never been to a wizarding school."

Harry decided it was better to pretend he did not know anything about Hogwarts. Perhaps he could coax Dumbledore in letting him enter Hogwarts as a student. He would have to be careful, he knew that Dumbledore was a true master when it came to playing games…

"Homeschooled then?"

"I've…I've got no parents, sir." Harry replied. Well that wasn't a lie anyway…

"Oh, my dear boy, I'm sorry!" Dumbledore exclaimed with a sad, concerned smile. Harry repressed the urge to scoff. Why feel sorry for someone you don't even know? He was sure Dumbledore was only acting. At least he wasn't the only one doing so…

An awkward, thick silent filled the room. Harry didn't know what to say. Neither did the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Finally, the old man asked:

"If it pleases you, how about studying here at Hogwarts?"

"Uh?"

Harry thought he couldn't have uttered a dumbest answer. What kind of answer was that anyway? But Dumbledore's proposal had really taken him by surprise. He had not expected this to be so simple. He had just popped out of nowhere and Dumbledore was offering him a place at Hogwarts? Yes, it fitted well in his plans but it was so simple…was there some trap?

"Err…I don't know. I mean, yes…Yes I would like it very much but…uh…don't…don't you think I could be one of Voldemort's followers?" Harry asked, eyeing the man who he had once treated as a grandfather suspiciously.

"Ah yes…Voldemort…You see, my boy, I believe you're not one of his followers because

you would not have said his name. That is quite rare to see someone who doesn't fear to say Voldemort's name. Quite rare… And you seem to be very pure my boy. Nothing like the Death Eaters. And believe me, I've seen many of them." Dumbledore replied gravely.

"Oh. Um yeah." Harry wanted to bang his head on the wall, just like Dobby. It seemed since he had come here, he had been reduced to doing nothing but stuttering and speaking in monosyllables…

"Besides, I think it's appropriate for a young wizard like you to spend time with other students of your age. Nothing is better than studying and learning magic with other people. Friendship and love are our most important gifts."

Harry smiled what seemed to be a genuine smile. Actually it was more like a condescending smile. Dumbledore and his smooth talks about love and friendship…see where that had led him. Hermione and Ron…Dumbledore…they all had betrayed him when he had needed them the most. Talk about love and friendship!!! Only Aïon. Only Aïon was there. Only Aïon to love him. To care for him. How he missed him…

"I understand, sir. But err…I…I don't have anything with me and I need to take some of my things."

"You needn't to worry, my boy. You must first think about recovering. You've got pretty bad injuries." Dumbledore all but replied, his unnerving smile still plastered on his face.

"Yeah. Thank you, sir." Harry said, shooting him a brief smile.

Dumbledore nodded, his deep blue eyes never wandering away from the lithe boy. He turned around and walked towards the door. He could feel the intense gaze of the peculiar boy on his back but he did not glance back. He opened the door of the infirmary and walked away, the door closing behind him with a soft thud.

Harry did not know how long he stayed like this, the fluffy pillow propped between his back and the headboard, staring at the door that had closed long ago, his hands tightly gripping each other, his mind swirling with blurred images of Aïon. Aïon with his long, long hair and still so very intimidating, so very dangerous….Aïon with his gentle, awkward smile and still so much hated and feared in that ugly place Harry had learnt to call "the Lair". Aïon and the sweet whispers during the cold, cold nights…So cold that breath formed a pure-white, ephemeral, tiny and soft cloud. And oh Merlin! Aïon and the slow, torturing, and oh! so pleasant, so addicting caresses, touches, strokes, brushes…The fingers, the hair, the skin, the jawline, the hips, the spine….Oh sweet Merlin….Aïon…Aïon…would he recognize him?

_

* * *

The little Butterfly has __flapped his wings…_

**

* * *

4, November 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall.**

"Where is Dumbledore?" Lucius asked in a soft, yet commanding voice.

"I don't know…I think I saw him go to the infirmary but he did not look injured" the black-haired boy seated next to him replied in an equally firm voice.

Lucius glanced towards Regulus Black, one of the few people he considered as a friend, and simply nodded. Regulus Black was a handsome boy. Handsome…quite a euphemism. In fact, had Regulus not been in Slytherin, a flock of the students, males and females, would fling themselves at him. Lucius too was handsome. But the two were Slytherins and Slytherins were not known for being perfect boyfriends or girlfriends…Slytherins deceived, used and threw away other people. It was the main reason why no one ever had asked out a Slytherin.

Of course, Lucius knew there were some Slytherins who were going out with Ravenclaws and sometimes Hufflepuffs or Gryffindors, but generally speaking, Slytherins were more feared than loved. Not that it would ever bother Lucius or Regulus. They both found relationships annoying. Both their parents were the epitome of Purebloods marriage: no love, no affection, only money and status. Thus Lucius and Regulus knew well that seeing a new face in the Manor meant that one of their parents had founded a new toy to play with for a few weeks.

Relationships were meaningless. Only power. Power and pride mattered.

He gazed around him. Next to Regulus was Gloria Parkinson who chattered happily with her childhood friend, Agatha Nott. In front of him were the two people he deemed worthy of his friendship along with Regulus: Aristide Rosier and Chrysie Fadway. The former was a spoiled but clever and very Slytherin boy, currently in his 6th year. He had hazel eyes and nut-brown shoulder-length hair tied with a dark ribbon. It made his sharp features stand out even more and his eyes held a bit more contempt and coldness than intended. However, he was still no match next to Lucius' long blonde hair and pale face, nor could he compete with Regulus' patrician features and short blue-black hair that framed a milky white face. Indeed, Regulus and Lucius were the little Slytherin princes.

As for Chrysie Fadway, Lucius did not quite know why he respected her, if not for her wits. She was not a beauty but she possessed a grace and a dignity that clearly showed her Pureblood status. These qualities made her average features shine a little amid the other girls and her waist-length blond hair tended to show the harmony of her well-balanced forms: a thin waist, a small and round face, long legs. Not too bad.

She had not shown particular Slytherin traits, she was not particularly deceitful nor did she like to show contempt towards other Houses. Sometimes he wondered why she had not been sorted into Ravenclaw.

As he glanced back at Regulus he noticed his friend was deep in thought and somewhat glaring at his brother, Sirius Black. Sirius the traitor. The black sheep of the Pureblood Families. The brother Regulus despised. Hated with passion. And liked with the same intensity. Lucius knew nothing of brotherly feelings. He had no brother, no sister and he did not understand why Regulus still harbored brotherly feelings for this traitor, shameful boy, Sirius Black represented.

The doors of the Great Hall opened and the Headmaster walked in, his steps dignified, quiet and light. Lucius snorted. Such a dramatic entrance…what a foolish old man Dumbledore was. The old wizard sat in his chair and clapped in his hands, gaining the attention of the few students who had preferred eating on rather than staring at the Headmaster. Dumbledore smiled his trademark smile, which Lucius found more disgusting than reassuring.

"My dear students, I would like to reaffirm that you are not allowed to go in the Forbidden Forest. Someone landed there this afternoon. He is not one of our school, though. It seems very likely that he will stay and study here so I expect you to improve the relationships between Houses for our Professor, Mister Curtis Jacobson, told me that Gryffindors and Slytherins have already begun to constantly bicker, fight and sabotage each others' potions. I would like our new student to have a good image of our school, and I'm sure you yourselves want to. My warning is of course mostly addressed to Mister James Potter, Mister Sirius Black and Mister Aristide Rosier. With these words, I wish you a good evening!"

Dumbledore turned to speak with Mc Gonagall. Lucius frowned ever so slightly and whispered some words to Regulus who only nodded.

_

* * *

He has started flying in a world where he is nothing…where no one knows him…_

**

* * *

4, November 1964. Hogwarts. Slytherins' Common Room. **

It was past midnight and most of the students had gone to sleep. A few remained in the dim Common Room where the fire was quietly dying, its lemon yellow flames turning into small reddish spots amid the ashes. Regulus was sitting on a plain wooden chair in the darkest corner of the room. He might have seemed asleep to others, but he was actually gazing at the fire. His little brother….still causing trouble. How was he supposed to help his brother when he wasn't even allowed near him? Near the black sheep… It had been so long since he had even touched one hair of his brother. The Black family had cut almost all ties with Sirius since he had made Gryffindor friends and _**"dared"**_ to stand up for them.

It was their 7th year at Hogwarts. It was almost there…the life of slavery they were going to live. All of them. Safe for Sirius and his friends. But for him, for Lucius, Aristide, Gloria, Chrysie, Agatha, and many others, the day they would openly be Death Eaters was approaching. Regulus had no doubts about his allegiance. He was Dark by nature. Sirius too. But Sirius had thrown away his capacities and had chosen to be with his friends. Regulus resented him for that. How could Sirius be so happy when he…when he, Regulus, his _**brother**_ was on the brink of despair?

"What is it, Regulus?" someone drawled.

"Nothing important." Regulus raised his eyes and met the silver ones of Lucius.

The blonde boy merely nodded, clearly not believing him. But Slytherins knew better than try to openly pry into others' affairs. Even if they were friends. Things like that required subtlety. If Lucius really wanted to know what was wrong he would just ask the other students if they were aware of anything.

"I wrote to Father. Do you think the new student is to be kept under surveillance?"

"I don't know yet. I shall go to the Infirmary tomorrow and have a look at him just as you asked me" Regulus replied.

"Fine."

They stayed there, Lucius standing by Regulus' side. They did not speak any longer nor did they move, both staring at the small flickering flames. Chrysie walked towards them a few moments later. She sat on the floor and sighed. They enjoyed the silence.

In the end, Chrysie was the one who broke it.

"I have some news about that boy." she whispered, making sure that no one was listening to their conversation.

Only the slight concentration that shone through Lucius' eyes and the way Regulus leant towards her showed that she had their full attention. Aristide swiftly came between Lucius and Chrysie, as if knowing what they were talking about.

"You know the Hufflepuff girl named Kathleen Johnson? Well she fell down her broom today during the Quidditch training. Seems like she stayed a few hours at the infirmary. She saw him. She was bragging to his friends that she had seen him, and that he was gorgeous. Strangely enough, she also said that he looked a lot like James Potter but that the boy had assured her he had no ties whatsoever with Potter. Didn't get to have much more information." Chrysie said.

Lucius nodded. Regulus squinted his eyes at Chrysie.

"His name?" The Black heir asked.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Harry Evans" Chrysie replied.

"A very common name if you want to know my opinion…" Aristide butted in. He sneered.

"Quiet, Aristide", Lucius warned him. "Evans may be the name of the Gryffindor Mudblood but it was also the name of a Pureblood family that died a few decades ago, wasn't it, Regulus?" he asked.

"Yes. He could be a distant cousin of Orion Evans, the last descendant of the Evans family though I don't know who Harry Evans' parents could be…He could be the same as Lily Evans".

Aristide repressed his snort, not wanting to displease twice Lucius. After all, Lucius' father was the Dark Lord's favorite follower…

They all left the room without a word, not even saying goodbye or good night.

As soon as he had closed the curtains around his bed, Lucius took out a paper and his quill. With his elegant and precise writing, he swiftly told his father about the new student and asked him whether he should keep an eye on him or not. He beckoned his owl to quietly come beside him. He attached the message to his owl's claws, got out of his bed and opened the window for the owl to fly out.

He would have his reply by tomorrow morning. He sighed with contentment and went back to his bed, snuggling under the silken sheets. He was a Prefect thus he had a room of his own and it was nice. He could read some Dark books he wouldn't dare to read in the Slytherin's Dorm Room in case Dumbledore had some spy within the Slytherins. He could go to sleep late and wake up early without having to put up with others' complaints. He could spend an hour in the shower. He could send his daily reports to his father without anyone peeking at them. It was perfect.

_

* * *

But __everyone is already drawn to Little Butterfly…because no one knows him… _

**

* * *

4, December**** 1990. Ireland. "The Lair". North Wing, 3****rd**** floor. **

He knocked. Three times. The lack of reply made him tense. His nostrils flared, trying to smell anything. Nothing. No smell at all came from behind the door. He could not feel any presence either. He cursed. And opened the door with a loud bang.

The room was empty. The large bed had been made, the sheets well straightened and the pillows hiding half of the headboard. The windows were slightly opened, allowing some air to make the heavy scarlet curtains flutter. Nothing hinted that someone might have stayed here. Safe for the white sheet of paper that had been laid on the large wooden table. He grasped it and clutched at it, gritting his teeth.

_Dear Ruler, __Vladimir, _

_As I'm sure that you're the only one who would ever come and check if I'm fine this letter is addressed to you. (If someone else is currently reading this letter…please give it to Vlad). I bet you knocked on my door, right? Too bad I'm not here. I'd love to make fun of you, really…It's silly to see one knocking on the door even though there is no one to tell him to come in, isn't it? I'm sorry if you're disappointed by my decision. Don't cry, okay? Though I doubt Your Highness would ever cry…._

_I want to thank you for caring for me all this time. I am truly grateful to have met you, Vlad. I know you wanted something more from me but you have to understand what it was like for me to put up with the pain. Anyway we decided long ago to be friends so please don't be mad. I can't forget my mate, no matter how much I wish to. It's so painful to seemingly live in a world where he is not here. You know he was my everything. My heart and my head still hurt. In fact my whole body hurts but my heart aches most. I know it's foolish to defy nature's laws but I used my magic to go back in time. I want to change some things and make sure that we never part. It's not like I had never defied time anyway…by accepting a life by his side I had already broken human rules. I don't know if I'll succeed. _

_Take care and don't __ever__ forget me. _

_I hope we'll meet again and by then you'll have found your mate. _

_Love, _

_Eliel__ Kreshnik Harry Potter. _

'That boy!" Vladimir exclaimed.

He threw the letter on the floor and glared at the wall. His sea-green eyes turned silver and he spun around. There, leaning on the door stood the vampire he hated the most. His young sister Alecto smirked, her beautiful face twisting horribly.

"Has the young serpent left the Lair?" she asked tauntingly, her voice laced with malice.

"You knew didn't you?" Vlad asked harshly, his cold eyes staring at the lithe figure.

"Aah…I might have…or I might not have…Aren't _**you**_ supposed to be the 'Prince' who knows everything ?" she replied in a nasal sing-song voice.

"You…" Vlad growled and abruptly stopped, his gaze hardening.

He stepped out of the room, brushing past his sister, turned left, climbing down the stairs, and went to his room. He vaguely heard his sister laughing with this high-pitched, raspy voice of hers. He forced his claws to retract and waited for his eyes to go back to their normal color.

How could he have made that mistake of leaving the boy alone, even if only for a mere hour? He should have known that Kreshnik would not be here…That he would have escaped. Escaped the "Lair" as he had nicknamed it. The Lair…a perfect name to designate the …house…of the people Kreshnik liked to name the "animals". People whom Kreshnik despised and hated. People who had always, always tried to harm Kreshnik. People who were cowards, even if they were one of the most ancient and powerful magical creatures. People whom he, Vlad, liked and hated at the same time. Liked because they were his people, they were his friends, his family. Hated because they wouldn't accept Harry. Kreshnik. Eliel.

He had first met the boy four years ago. At that time, "Harry" was 16. Vlad had been surprised upon seeing the "Boy who Lived". Vlad had made a point of staying away from the wizards' war. Vampires would not have any benefit helping either Dumbledore or Voldemort. Vlad wanted peace for his people.

But when he had seen Harry for the first time…He had wondered whether Dumbledore even _**hoped**_ to win with this…human. Harry was thin, perhaps too thin. And he was not really tall. And he reeked of impure Muggle touches…some beatings, whippings, slaps…his vampiric senses had been quick to detect the smell, and his eyes had swiftly caught the sight of some bruises hastily hidden under a loose T-shirt. He had at first refused to think that this malnourished and beaten boy was supposed to be the wizarding world's savior. He had vanished right before the boy's eyes, catching the sight of his puzzled face before disappearing in a black, thick mist.

The second time he met the boy had been when Harry was 17. At that time, he had discovered that Harry was Aïon's friend. A rather close friend. Vlad had been surprised. Aïon was not known to be close to anyone. As the former General of the now dissolved army, Aïon had not been much in contact with others. Vlad knew his friend liked it, being lonesome and quiet. But at his second encounter with the young wizard he had understood Aïon had found someone to love.

The third time he met Harry was a few months later. The shock had been violent. Aïon had taken care of Harry and the result was astounding. The lithe body of the boy did not seem so thin as it was hidden under a rich carmine shirt and a black velvet wizard cape. The round glasses had been removed and the emerald eyes shone vividly. At that time, the only word he could thought of was "Gorgeous". As he had seen his long-time friend's serene face, guilt had stabbed him right through his dead heart. He could not lust after the young wizard. Not when Aïon loved the boy.

The fourth time he met Harry, 3 years later, the boy was with Aïon, in _**Vlad's manor**_. He had immediately seen the change. A bit taller, more muscular than before, a paler skin. And the happiness….Merlin…the happiness that showed on his face! Vlad thought Harry had bonded with Aïon. And then he had realized his mistake. Harry had not bonded with Aïon. Aïon had given some of his blood to Harry but had received none. It was the utmost sign of trust. Giving your blood to a human and not asking for anything in return was not unheard of but it was something … only true lovers did. There had not been many vampires who had had a true relationship with a human. Most of the time, vampires had many brief flings and affairs, with other vampires or with human wizards, sometimes with Muggle. And most of the time they killed the humans they had gone to bed with.

Aïon had done something even Vlad had never thought of. He had stared at the couple for a few minutes, his mind trying to process what he had just discovered. Harry had smiled. Brightly. And he had introduced himself. Politely. Aïon had smiled. And as he had thought that Harry had definitely grown up into a gorgeous man, the guilt he had felt three years ago had reappeared, heavier than before.

Harry had not told anyone but Aïon about his situation which Vlad had learnt about only much later. The wizards had given Harry the cold shoulder as soon as they had learnt who this mysterious man he spent most of his time with was. A vampire….it had caused an uproar among the Wizarding Community.

But vampires too had not accepted Harry. They did not acknowledge him. He was a human. Indeed he had some of Aïon's blood, but he was not a full Vampire. Aïon had not bitten him… Instead of despising Aïon or Vlad for accepting the "human", they had despised Harry. Innocent, fragile Harry who knew nothing of the Vampire Community.

Alecto had been eager to meet him as soon as she had learnt about Aïon's involvement with the young wizard. Somewhat she had understood that Vlad too desired him. It had only sparked her interest even more. And she too had become enthralled. Not in the same way. By no means did she love him…Quite the contrary. She loathed him and hated him with a passion. Harry was everything she hated. He was kind yet powerful, loving yet dangerous. She, who had always been powerful, dangerous, frightening, cold, harsh, could not understand how that boy could be as powerful as she without being void of any feeling. And she had decided to study, examine the boy.

She had turned Harry's life into Hell. Not only did she stalk him, but tried to "spar" with him any time she could too. Vlad had been forced to intervene more than a couple of times. Aïon had lost his temper a good number of times. Alecto had never backed off. She had even gained the help of a Pureblood Vampire, Arioch Ungureanu. He hated the thought of having to share his environment with a lowly human and had decided to help Alecto torment the boy. Vlad had not taken this happily. He had retaliated. Aïon and Harry had bonded a few months ago. Harry had given his blood to Aïon. But it was not enough. The boy was still no vampire. Merely a human boy gifted with vampiric characteristics and bonded with a powerful vampire.

And the fights had continued. Endlessly.

But now, the boy had left. Kreshnik had left. And he, Vlad, the Vampires' leader, was alone in his room, thinking about the young boy again and again.

_

* * *

L__ittle Butterfly has left his cocoon and Death behind him and has been reborn anew._

**

* * *

5, November 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall. **

Lucius opened the heavy doors. He walked in, his head high and his back straight. His steps were carefully measured, and he appeared calm and poised. The very image his Slytherin companions wanted to see.

He sat down at the table where Regulus had kept a seat for him. His only greeting was a slow nod addressed to everyone. Regulus nodded too. Chrysie smiled and Gloria muttered a sleepy "Goo' mornin'…". Lucius glanced at the teachers' table. Mc Gonagall was here but Dumbledore…The Malfoy heir turned his attention to his plate. Could Dumbledore be visiting the new student?

Chrysie's voice drew him out of his thoughts. The girl was looking at Gloria. But she was talking to Lucius.

"I saw Dumbledore go to the Infirmary" she said softly, not letting anything show on her face, as if she was talking about the weather.

"So?" Regulus in.

"I think I saw a glimpse of the boy. Not bad. A little frail perhaps. Seems rather harmless. But that's only what I think" she replied while smiling.

"Harmless?" Lucius repeated, his grey eyes staring at Chrysie's golden hair.

"He doesn't exude any hateful aura….but I'm no magical creature so I can't really tell."

Lucius knew what it meant. He was a quarter Veela, so his powers were not totally those of a Veela but he had enough to tell if someone was light or dark, powerful or not, human or not. However he had not inherited the most important characteristics of a Veela: the ability to read one's feelings, to charm anyone, to communicate with other magical

creatures and to use magic which only Veelas possessed.

Any magical creature could use the four elements. But Veela were not a race as ancient as Vampires or Elves. Thus they had had learn to use the elements. And had only mastered the use of two elements.

Vampires, Elves, Gnomes, Sylphs, Sirens, Nymphs, Salamanders, Centaurs…they had all mastered the use of the four elements but every race had affinities.

Sylphs liked the air; Sirens and Nymphs, water; Gnomes, earth; Salamanders, fire; Dark Elves, fire and earth; Snow elves known as the "Common Elves" or the "White-haired ones", water and air; Vampires, fire and air.

But what Veela also lacked, was the existence of a magic created and mastered by Veelas.

Gnomes had mastered the control of metal and minerals, using what they had underground.

Sylphs contented themselves with the mastery of the wind.

Sirens and Nymphs had mastered the control of the rain.

Salamanders had enough power with fire and had not tried to create another kind of magic.

Snow Elves had mastered the control of snow, ice and rain using their own language. Dark Elves and Vampires had mastered the control of metal for the Gnomes had actually helped the Dark Elves who were the result of breeding between Snow Elves and Vampires; the control of the snow and ice, and the darkest control of all: the control of blood.

Lucius had tried to master the control of air and earth. He had so far mastered the control of air. But earth…he had been trying for months and nothing, absolutely nothing had changed. His father was not happy. Nor was the Dark Lord.

His thoughts were once again disrupted as he eyed Aristide gloat over Severus Snape's latest humiliating encounter with the Gryffindors. The young Rosier heir was all puffed up, holding his head high, his smirk seemingly glued on his face and his loathing stare directed at the quiet, gloomy Severus.

Lucius would hate to admit it but he acknowledged Severus' skills. The boy was the best in Potions, always meticulous, deeply concentrated, and most of all, serene and seemingly happy when brewing his potions. He was not bad in the Defense against Dark Arts' classes, and was doing fine in Herbology and Divination. Sometimes he talked a bit with Severus. When they were alone. It would not be good if anyone saw him talk with the Slytherin black sheep. After all, "Snape" got along pretty well with a…Mudblood.

He saw everyone's head turn around and he fought the urge to do the same. The doors had opened. He recognized Dumbledore's way of walking and his full interest went to the old wizard. How was the new student? At this very moment, the owls flew in, dropping gifts, letters, boxes full of candies or chocolates… He caught his letter but did not open it. He wanted to see Dumbledore's face first. Observing was the most important skill to master when being in Slytherin.

He noticed Dumbledore was smiling. A broad smile. Did that mean the student was fine? Then, his attention was drawn to the object the Headmaster was clutching in his wrinkled hands. A worn hat. The Hat. The Sorting Hat.

The boy was going to be sorted. He was finally going to see the boy. What was he like? What did his aura feel like? What did he smell like?

He pocketed his father's letter and eagerly waited for Dumbledore to speak. His hopes were fulfilled as Dumbledore gently tapped his spoon on his glass. All the students turned to see Dumbledore. The noise slowly died.

"My dear students, I have a marvelous news. The boy I talked about yesterday has already recovered. It is a real miracle that he recovered so fast but it is all for the better! I believe you'll behave and show him around the school. He will now be sorted. Harry, if you would come here…"

Everyone looked back at the huge doors. There, in the shadows, stood a petite figure. No one had noticed him until now. Lucius frowned. If Dumbledore said that it was a miracle that the boy had recovered so fast, did it mean that the boy was…interesting? A magical creature perhaps?

The young boy stepped in. Lucius' confusion deepened. He couldn't feel any smell coming from the boy. No smell, no aura, no magic. Was he a squib?!

But the boy was surely a feast to the eyes. He may be petite, but his demeanor exuded confidence and power. He walked proudly, his head high and his look never wavering, his back straight and his steps poised, never rushed. It was strange looking at him…With such a behavior that boy could surely not be a squib….

Lucius _**knew**_ power. He had seen the Dark Lord closely twice. And the Dark Lord reeked of power. And somehow, even though his Veela side could not detect anything coming from this boy, Lucius knew that the new student was special. The way he walked, the way he stared at Dumbledore, everything screamed power. He walked as a Pureblood, he stood the same way Lucius, Regulus and Potter did. He obviously was powerful. Yet, why didn't Lucius smell anything?

The girls had not lost the opportunity to whisper about how "gorgeous" the "new boy" was. Lucius snorted delicately. Sure, the boy was nice but…he resembled Potter a bit too much. Chrysie had been right. He glanced at James Potter and smirked, eyeing the gobsmacked face of the Gryffindor. It might have been too much of a shock for Potter to see a lookalike… The girls, whether they were from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin were all commenting the new boy's appearance.

Harry had chosen to wear no glamour, keeping his waist-length hair tied with a black ribbon, his vivid emerald eyes he had gotten from his mother (whom he had caught a glimpse of), and he had gone to retrieve his trunk in the Forbidden Forest (not that Dumbledore needed to learn that), picking out some clothes. He had put the dark shirt he had once stolen from Aïon's wardrobe and shrunken to make it fit him, the plain dark trousers Aïon had bought him on their first "shopping-date", and the dark boots made of dragon's skin that Vlad had offered him for his 19th birthday.

However he had gulped down a potion he had prepared before coming here. He had repressed his creature side, and had hidden his aura. He did not need any attention here. He had only come to find Aïon and explain everything to him. Unwanted attention would only hinder his plans.

He sat on the chair and let Dumbledore put the Hat on his head.

"_My, my…what do we have here?__ A student? so late in this year?" drawled the Hat._

"_Shut up" was Harry's brief and abrupt reply. _

"_No need to be so __aggressive. Now lower your mental shields so that I can look"_

"_No. I have to keep them up"._

"_I can't sort you like that."__ The Hat talked to him as if he was chiding a young child. _

"_Can't you just randomly sort me?"_

"_No. That is against the rules and against my morals, young boy"._

"…_.All right. But don't go too far in my mind. I won't warn you twice". __Harry threatened the Hat, inwardly knowing that the Hat would not ever harm a student. _

"_You have my word". _

"…"

"…"

"_So?"__ Harry asked, a bit impatient. _

"_Oh! You're from the future! … Interesting… I shall not ask you what __your motives are. Let's see. Slytherin would be good. Ah! but you went to Gryffindor…"_

"_Not Gryffindor. I wouldn't want my parents to understand who I am"__, Harry cut him. _

"…_Oh I see! Lily Evans and James Potter, that is, uh? I see…Ah I see there are some people whom you know too in Slytherin. No…let's see….perhaps Ravenclaw?"_

"_Ravenclaw? Let's go for it__ then. What year are my parents in?"_

"_7__th__ year"._

"_Put me in the same year"_

_RAVENCLAW, 7__th__ year! _the hat shouted.

The Ravenclaw students clapped louder than anyone else. Harry stood and put the Hat on the chair, gently tapping the top of it, silently thanking him.

He went and sat at the Ravenclaws' table. He mentally cursed. There it was….the endless flow of questions. Everyone was staring at him and his neighbor was ready to ask the first question when a girl rose from her seat and walked towards him. He stared at her, a bit puzzled until his eyes fell on the Prefect badge she wore on her robes. He nodded stiffly.

"I'm Elena Rosebury. Here is the list of the classes. And here the planning. You can talk to me at any time if you've got problems. What's your name?"

"Harry Evans." he shortly replied.

Elena nodded. The Ravenclaws all asked him all kinds of questions. Harry lied most of the time. And every now and then, he would glance at his father and mother, at his godfather and at Remus and his heart would ache.

The whole time, Elena did not stop watching him. Nor did Lucius.

* * *

_And little Butterfly has __flapped his wings…to explore the world where he should not be._

**

* * *

**

Small Note about the characters' names :

**Aïon (Aï- pronounced as in ch****i****ld, -on as in ****own**** not as in ****on**** !) is a Greek word that means 'Life' or 'Eternity'. **

I here chose 'Eternity'. This is obviously the name of someone who is dear to Harry. I rather like his name….To tell the truth it is one of the first Greek words I fell in love with… *laughing* I want Aïon's character to show through his own name. I think Aïon is a great name, it has a nice ring to it and somehow when you say it, it holds power, dignity and at the same time, it seems to be very loving for there are no harsh sounds. Well, that's just what I think…

**Eliel is a Hebrew word/name which means 'My God is God' and designates an Archangel.**

It is Harry's first first-name. Yes he has several first names…. You will soon discover why he bears this name. Take it as a hint regarding Harry's character. It is a soft name but the meaning of it shows that only a powerful person can bear it. Somehow, the sound of this name might be a hint of what Harry is… You know, gorgeous, soft and beautiful creatures other than angels…

**Kreshnik is an Albanian name/word that means 'courageous'. The goddesses' children were also called Kreshnik and they were said to be unnaturally strong. **

That is Harry's second first-name. If you want to know why it is not his first first-name, you will have to wait for the next chapters ^o^. Then again, you can think of this name as a preview of Harry's character. It gives off a much rougher and harsher feeling but you might just as well pronounce the [R] as something between a [R] and a [L].

It is a nice, very nice name. I like it too…Do you like it? ^o^ Bravery is something really important, in my opinion. It is something you cannot help but be drawn to, even if you despise it. Harry shall be courageous in my fic (because I want to *laughing*) and that's one of his many good points. It doesn't mean that he is perfect though…

**Vlad****imir is a name/word that means 'Prince who reigns with peace' and is used in Slavic countries. Vlad means 'Prince' (or 'rule'). **

I thought it was a name worthy of a Vampire leader. It is a nice name. I don't know why but I fell in love with this name long ago. I know that giving this name to a vampire is a little cliché but I like it like that. *laughing* This Vampire is someone who is trustworthy, he is very independent and cares very much for his friends and for his people. His full name, Vladimir, shows that he is not belligerent and prefers peace to war. He is mature and rarely loses his composure. That might be the reason why I like this character so much…Almost as much as Aïon and Harry (a.k.a. Eliel or Kreshnik). I will often use the diminutive 'Vlad' for the one and only reason that it is shorter thus simpler to write. *laughs* Do you thing I'm being too lazy here?

**Alecto is the name of one of the three Greek Furies. She embodies the desire of vengeance that never dies and always, always comes back. **

As odd as it may appear, I love this woman. I created her so I like her nonetheless. You know, it's like you've created, taken care of, fed, and watched over a creature that came from your own mind and flesh. She has a nasty, horrible and frightening personality that is totally opposite to Vladimir's even though they are family. She's not really right in her mind too….Another thing she does not share with Vlad. She has a peculiar obsession with Harry and she just does not know when to stop. But then again, her name fits her perfectly. Perhaps she may resemble Bellatrix in a way…But… was Bellatrix beautiful? *laughes* Anyway I hope you like her too. And if you don't like her…then I suppose it would mean I did well when describing her hateful character. *laughes*

**Arioch is the name of a demon which is not very famous. He is supposed to stand for vengeance. People who invoke Arioch are usually people who are seeking to take revenge on someone. **

I think Arioch forms the perfect pair with Alecto. They are both seeking revenge. Both have the same pretensions to rule the Vampire Community. They are rivals too but they both see our trio (Aïon, Harry and Vlad) as the threat they have to remove from their path. However while Alecto is really tenacious and often is too eager thus fails, Arioch is more subtle and knows when and where to strike. He is the strategist, I suppose. He is the real brain. He does not indulge in his feelings and does not let his revenge overwhelm his mind. He is always controlling himself and always maintains his composure. It makes him a difficult opponent though Alecto too is hard to defeat for her madness makes her rather unpredictable.

**Elena is one of the many names that resemble the Greek name Helen. The name Helen might have the same root as the Greek word [lampas] which means 'light'.**

I chose to pick up some of Helen's characteristics using Homer's description of Helen and use the meaning of 'Light' to construct Elena's character. She will become a close friend of Harry and she is the kind of person you can rely on. True to the meaning of her name, Elena tends to be the one who lifts everyone's spirits. She is also the one who can touch everyone's bare hearts for she is kind, listens attentively to anyone's worries and fears. However she is a girl who has 'too much of a heart' if I dare say and that will provoke her downfall. Because she tends to let other's feelings affect her deeply she will not be able to resist when faced with very strong and dark feelings.

**Chrysie resembles the name Chryseis, daughter of Chryses (in Homer's work) but in fact it is not linked at all. Chrysie is a name I more or less coined, using the Latin word 'chrysius (a, um)' meaning 'made of gold' that comes from the Greek word [chruseos] meaning 'made of gold'.  
**

Chrysie is by no means a beauty. She somewhat is the average girl if one only judges by the look…She has blonde hair, golden hair rather than pale blonde hair like Lucius. However she is very clever. Her name refers to her hair of course but also to some details of her personal life that you will discover throughout the fic. She is discreet, modest and does not seem to be a Slytherin at all. However Lucius acknowledges her and that is an important point in the story. She will be much more of a friend to Harry than Gloria will ever be. As for the young Slytherins, she is the only one I really created : I invented more or less Gloria Parkinson, Regulus Black and Aristide Rosier but their names had already been used by J.K. Rowling. However, for Chrysie, I made both her first name and surname. Her surname too is of great importance, it can foretell what will happen to her.

**Gloria ** **is the Latin word that means 'Glory'**

It clearly shows Parkinson's character. She is a girl who shines with her beauty first but also with her courage and her devotion. She is not a main character but I think she is worth of your attention. She is not vain like Draco Malfoy used to be in the first books of _Harry Potter_ but she seeks to become loved and acknowledged through her own merits.

She may be (I have doubts about some parts of my plot…) a close friend with Harry though she will stay most loyal to Lucius and Regulus.

**Agatha comes from the Greek word that has several meanings : 'good/kind', 'brave', 'virtuous', 'strong'. **

She doesn't come much in the picture in this first chapter but she will prove to be an interesting and useful character. Though I wouldn't say that Agatha will be a 'brave' girl, I can tell you that she is kind, virtuous and strong. She is the one who will always talk about morals and dignity when others will not give it any thought. She will be the one to always make everyone face the mistakes they made and she truly holds the role of the judge, perhaps the role of a scale in a world where everyone will inevitably hesitate between what's 'right' and what's 'wrong'. She is the clear-minded one, and even Vladimir or Arioch could not compete with her. She is not devoid of feeling but it is hard to tell what she thinks. However she tends to help and give advice to no one but people whom she trusts and likes.

**Aristide comes from the Greek [Aristos]. I added the "suffix" '-ide' though it doesn't really mean anything. [Aristos] has two main meanings: 'the bravest' and 'the best' (thus the word aristocracy….). Besides, Aristides was the name of an Athenian who was famous for his virtue.**

Aristide is not a boy who will prove to be very kind. He is the perfect epitome of the Pureblood Heir. More than Lucius and Regulus, in fact. Whereas Lucius and Regulus still have feelings and are able to worry about someone, love someone and loathe someone (though they hide it), Aristide seems to know nothing but how to make himself seem superior to others. He is very vain and you could see him as a very horrible Draco Malfoy. There is no one he truly likes and Harry will be no exception. This boy's name has a meaning, just like all the other characters, but his seems very paradoxical. Indeed I will not describe him as the best, nor as a virtuous boy, and even less as the bravest person. It seems his name won't ever fit him, but he will gradually change.

As for the other characters I either kept the names J.K. Rowling made (Lucius Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva Mc Gonagall, Rubeus Hagrid, Tom Riddle and so on…) or used new ones that don't have any meaning (Kathleen Johnson or Curtis Jacobson are rather common names).

I just wanted for my main characters to have names that have a meaning and explain how they are. I hope all those names don't confuse you. If they do, tell me, I'll try to change that but really, it does not matter if you don't remember what name means what, you'll understand how the characters are by reading the fic.


	2. Yearning for his sweet nectar

**N/A : ** I wanted to thanks everyone who read the first chapter. As no one left any review (except for Tania…but that's another matter…) I can't really know if you liked it or not. But I'm not one to criticize you, dear readers ! *laughing*…just because I can also be too lazy to simply click on the little "review" square. I'm happy enough as I saw that two people put my story in their favorites and/or alerts lists…

I think you already figured it but this story will have a heavy homosexual content... As for the pairing, yes, I did not put any for the moment but I have my pairing already decided though i'm still uncertain about some little details. But I did not specify yet who Harry would end up with because it would simply spoil the fun...just expect to witness many twists ^^

I hope you enjoy this 2nd chapter.

* * *

**Yearning for his sweet nectar  
**

I feel it everyday it's all the same  
It brings me down but I'm the one to blame  
I've tried everything to get away  
So here I go again  
Chasing you down again  
Why do I do this?

Over and over, over and over  
I fall for you  
Over and over, over and over  
I try not to

It feels like everyday stays the same  
It's dragging me down and I can't pull away  
So here I go again  
Chasing you down again  
Why do I do this?

Over and over, over and over  
I fall for you  
Over and over, over and over  
I try not to  
Over and over, over and over  
You make me fall for you  
Over and over, over and over  
You don't even try

So many thoughts that I can't get out of my head  
I try to live without you, every time I do I feel dead  
I know what's best for me  
But I want you instead  
I'll keep on wasting all my time

Over and over, over and over  
I fall for you  
Over and over, over and over  
I try not to  
Over and over, over and over  
You make me fall for you  
Over and over, over and over  
You don't even try to

Over and Over, sung by Three days grace.

**

* * *

9, November 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall. **

The meal ended smoothly. Harry had had to answer many questions. Most of people had been puzzled by his peculiar resemblance with James Potter and he had denied being related to the Gryffindor. The lies had flooded out of his mouth, leaving a bitter taste on his tongue. Every time he spun around to catch a glimpse of his mother, his heart would ache. He thought his mother was beautiful. And his father was a prat. Sirius seemed to glow with pride and happiness, and Remus looked so … alive. They did not wear gaunt, hollow faces. It was something new for Harry. On the other hand, Peter Pettigrew seemed as insignificant as before. But Harry knew that it was only a facade. They all were in their 7th year, surely Peter was already a Death Eater.

Speaking of which, Harry wondered where Snape was. Snape should be a Death Eater too…Where was he? He looked at the Slytherins' table, staring at the faces he knew and quickly looking at the faces he did not know. Snape was not there. Harry shrugged. He probably was in a room, studying or making potions. Why did he care after all?

Harry had been told about Snape's infatuation for Lily. Lily who had married James Potter….Snape's nightmare. He had slowly come to understand the truth. The truth about Snape and Lily Evans. His hatred for the Potion teacher had softened, but his resentment was still here, lingering somewhere in his heart and mind. After all, why did Snape have to hate him? Had Snape hated him because he had James' face? If so, why? Harry was not James. And that was a fact Snape should have seen.

He noticed Lucius Malfoy was looking at him, and he quickly turned around to face once again the Ravenclaw prefect, Elena Rosebury. Had Malfoy seen him staring at the Slytherins? Harry sighed. He could not afford to attract Malfoy's attention. He had already had enough coping with Draco. Bickering with Draco was a thing, but having Lucius as a nemesis would be another…Draco had been rather easy to deal with, he had not as much composure as his father, he showed too much pride and easily fell for tricks. However, during the few times Harry had had the "chance" to see Malfoy Senior, he had noticed that Lucius was much rougher and more pitiless than his son. It would not do good to start a fight with him.

"Harry!" a feminine voice full of exasperation almost exclaimed.

"Yes?" Harry answered without even thinking.

"I'm trying to speak with you… Could you at least listen to me?" Elena said.

"Ah, sorry…I was thinking" Harry replied, an apologetic smile adorning his face.

Elena snorted softly and did not bother to reply. She had seen the new boy looking at the Gryffindors then at the Slytherins. But he had not been looking with mere curiosity, he had been _**searching**_ for someone, something. As if he knew someone. She could have bet he had _**stared**_ at the Marauders and Lily Evans. And his eyes had roamed over the Slytherins _**twice**_.

She was not a Ravenclaw for nothing. She liked challenges, and she was witty. The boy sitting before her was intriguing. He gave off a strange feeling. Elena's family had some relatives in Russia. Once she had gone to see them and had encountered dark creatures: Vampires, Dark Elves, Salamanders, Thestrals, trolls, demonic hounds….they all gave her the urge to run away. And somehow the boy resembled greatly those dark creatures, in his way of showing a faint smile that did not reach his eyes, in the way he interacted with the other Ravenclaws, never letting them touch him ever so slightly, in the way his eyes seemed to glaze over everything when they weren't boring holes in the person he had taken interest in….everything in him reminded her of those creatures. But she wanted to get close to that boy rather than staying away from him. It was odd.

People tend to know, upon seeing someone for the first time, whether they will get along with that person or not. It is a strange thing. Perhaps it is attraction. Perhaps it is something you determine by observing how that person walks, what clothes that person wears, how that person talks… It is something one cannot but experience even only once in his lifetime. Strange bonds can form anywhere. Any time.

As for Elena, it was the first time she felt such a strong pull towards another person. She had not experienced anything like this before. But she had known, when seeing him for the first time, that she would like to get to know him. It was strange. Strange. It was the only word she could think of to describe this situation.

"Do you know what Ravenclaws are, Harry?" she asked.

"Uh…clever and quiet people?" he replied, a smirk tugging his lips.

"You're almost right. However Ravenclaws are also people who strive hard to be the best, and people who like challenges. You have to show spirit and determination. It is the only thing required."

"Oh. Okay. Your point being…"

"The password for the Common Room. You'll have to find it on your own. If you cannot, you'll have to sleep outside." Elena smirked. Her eyes shone vividly with mischief that was easily noticeable.

Harry laughed softly. His laugh was a bit raspy as if he had not laughed for a long time. Elena decided she liked his laugh. It was not a too deep sound, nor was it too high-pitched. It was pleasant to hear. However Harry's eyes stayed dull and haunted.

It was a disconcerting contrast.

"So I'm going to be asked a question and I have to answer it?"

"No. You'll have to discover the password without any help. It is likely that the portrait on the door will not help you either. You can try as many answers as you want".

"I like it already…Seems fun" Harry replied.

Elena scoffed. She turned to her neighbor and asked the young 2nd year Ravenclaw to give her the jug. She did not talk any longer to Harry.

He didn't seem to be bothered by that fact.

A young Ravenclaw seized this opportunity to talk to him. Harry repressed a smile. Seems like Elena Rosebury intimidated some people…

"Uh…Harry…is it true that you're err…an orphan?" the young girl asked, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Who said that?" Harry asked, his voice holding a tinge of threat.

"Ah err…it's…err I heard Dumbledore talk about it" she replied hastily.

Harry smiled. However his smile was far from being a joyful one. It was a dark, hollow one. Elena recognized it immediately. It was the smile she had once seen on a vampire's face. It was a sight she would never forget. That night, she had experienced true fear. Only the intervention of her brother had saved her from death. That fateful night, she had understood why dark creatures were feared. The power that emanated from Dumbledore was warm and peaceful, but what she had felt when that vampire had walked toward her had been extremely dark and frightening.

Harry did not really exude such frightening, oppressing aura but that smile….that smile….Oh Merlin…

Lucius squinted his eyes at the new boy. The girl had said something and then, Evans' conduct had dramatically changed. Whereas he could not sense anything coming from the boy earlier, he could now feel very distinctly the threatening waves emanating from Evans. He didn't really need to use his Veela side, he was sure even a mere human could sense the danger. And indeed, he noticed the girl backed away a little.

Truly, the boy was interesting.

"And...how do you expect me to believe your lie, little miss?" Harry snarled.

"Stop it." Elena cut in. Her face was pale, and she had a slight sign of recognition in her eyes though Harry did not know what it meant.

Harry could not use his vampire characteristics but he had not even needed them to tell that the girl had lied. Even though he hated Dumbledore, he knew the old wizard would not ever talk about such a delicate subject where people could overhear him.

He stared darkly at the young girl, and snorted as he caught sight of her pupils dilated with fear and her trembling lips.

"I would have thought Ravenclaw are honest" he merely added.

"We are. There are some….exceptions" Elena replied, her gaze firmly fixed on the young girl who flinched.

Harry nodded and turned away. He poked at the potato that was in his plate and pouted. He reached out for the jug and drank some pumpkin juice. He mentally scolded himself. How could he lose his temper so easily? He really had to get a grip on himself. Since Aïon's death he had been emotionally unstable.

Aïon's death… He snorted and wished there were some Firewhisky bottles to drown his sorrows. Aïon's death…had been horrible. He still remembered the look Aïon had on his face when he died. It was a serene face. Adorned with a smile. A smile addressed to Harry. A smile…a sad yet very relieved one. Because Harry had survived. Aïon had not.

He shut his eyes and sighed, trying to calm himself.

Elena glanced at him. The other Ravenclaws slowly resumed and their chatter filled the Great Hall once again.  
Lucius did not leave Harry out of his sight.

_

* * *

Little Butterfly surrounded by shadows…Little Butterfly attracts attention_

**

* * *

5, November 1964. Hogwarts. Ravenclaws' Common Room. **

After the meal, Harry was left alone before the door of the Common Room. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled loudly. He was now facing the portrait of a young eagle who was looking at him with a sharp eye. (N/A: yes, the eagle's speaking so I think he deserves a "He" )

"Wit" Harry said.

The eagle shot him a mocking look. Harry laughed softly. He had seen much more intimidating looks. The eagle croaked.

"Determination"

The eagle croaked again. It held a tinge of mockery and amusement.

"Work"

The eagle stared at him. Harry smiled triumphantly.

"Not quite, young one. Did you think it would be this easy?" the eagle drawled.

Harry's smile dropped. The eagle looked smug.

"Perseverance"

"No, no, no…"

"….Challenge" Harry shot.

"Not at all, young one" the eagle immediately replied, obviously pleased.

"Are you sure you really heard all of the answers I gave you?" Harry tentatively asked.

"I did, young one. Are you insulting me? Now, try thinking a bit and give me the good answer. After all, you're supposed to be a Ravenclaw are you not? Try using that little brain of yours" the eagle replied.

"…"

Harry stared at the eagle. He really didn't want to stay out of the Common Room.

The eagle made a strange sound that resembled a laugh.

"Spirit?" Harry then said after a few minutes.

The eagle nodded and the door slowly opened. There stood Elena, still wearing her uniform robes. She was smiling.

"You did well Harry. Most of the students would stay out much longer. Some of them even had to stay outside for their first night". She praised him.

"Guess I'm clever then," he replied jokingly.

Elena laughed. Harry merely smiled.

With her hands, she vaguely explained him how the Dorms were organized. Here was the Common Room, on the right there were seven doors, on the left the same number of doors. The rooms on the right were the girls', the boys slept on the left. The prefects had a room of their own in the east wing that was just above the Ravenclaws' Common Room.

"Your room is the 7th one because you're in 7th year. There are 9 other students in our year. You'll share your room with 3 other boys."

"Okay. So I guess you're in 7th year?"

"Yes. I've already told you but if you want to talk to someone I'm here" she offered.

Harry nodded and turned around. Elena sighed. She knew the new student would be hard to approach. He just did not seem the type to be very friendly. Not that he seemed very frightening or withdrawn, but there was just that little distance he put between himself and other people.

She stared at his retreating back then at the door that had closed behind him. She walked out of the Common Room to go back to her own room.

As soon as he closed the door, Harry met with delirious cheers. He blinked.

"Our new friend!" someone exclaimed.

In the obscurity he made out the figures of his roommates. One of them seemed rather big and muscular. Perhaps a Quidditch player? The other two did not seem to have any distinctive physical traits. One of the boys muttered a 'Lumos'.

Harry could now see them distinctly. The smaller ones were in fact twins. It reminded Harry of Fred and Georges.

"So new student, how do you like our humble room?" one of the twins asked mischievously.

"It's nice."

The twins laughed. Harry blinked. What was it that was so funny?

The tall boy approached him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. That happens often. By the way, I'm Theophile Goldsmith."

Harry nodded and swiftly moved a few steps away. He couldn't stand having someone touching him. It was making him uncomfortable. If Theophile noticed it, he did not say anything. The twins soon stopped laughing and got up to properly greet their new roommate.

"I'm Alexis Peterson but you can call me Alex."

"I'm Alastor Peterson and unfortunately I've got no nicknames except Alas…so call me Alastor"

Harry smiled. Alastor…a name that reminded him of someone else. Fate was strange.

The twins led him to his bed and explained him how they proceeded every morning. Alastor tended to wake up early so he always showered first, then Theophile usually went in the bathroom after him. At 7.00 am, they had to wake Alexis up.

"So Harry do you wake up early or not?" Alexis asked him, with his eyes wide-opened, eagerly waiting for the answer, obviously hoping that someone would finally have more difficulties than him waking up.

"Uh…Yeah. I err…I'm somewhat a bit insomniac so I don't sleep much." Harry replied.

"Oh. Okay." Alexis pouted, clearly disappointed.

The other boys went to sleep whispering a soft "Good night" to which Harry merely grunted in response. He called a house-elf and asked him to bring his trunk which he had left in the infirmary. The house-elf brought it immediately and left.

Harry looked around and sighed. He wouldn't have much privacy here…Perhaps he should sometimes go and sleep in the Requirement Room… He would have to think about it. For now privacy spells around his bed would suffice. He cast a 'Protego', an 'Eremia' (means "solitude" in Greek) and removed the protection spells he had put on his trunk.

The trunk opened and he put out all of the clothes it contained safe for two cloaks, the invisibility cloak from his father, and Aïon's clothes which he had taken with him before stepping into the Temporal portal.

He flicked his wrist and arranged the clothes in the wardrobe that had been put near his bed. There were no robes. Only dark jeans and trousers; carmine, emerald and black shirts, and heavy dark cloaks. He would have to go buy some robes … Troublesome.

He closed the trunk, put on some protection spells, shrunk it and hid it under his bed.

He sprawled on his bed, yawning. He may have recovered from the time-travel but he was still weary. The spell had taken most of his energy.

He dozed off, gently fiddling with his necklace that he had put on.

"_Eliel…"_

_**Who…Are you the one from before?**_

"_Eliel. My beloved."_

_**Aïon?**_

"_Eliel I shall protect you."_

_**Where are you Aïon? I ache…so much… so much…**_

"_Do not worry. Eliel. My beloved Eliel. Stay strong."_

_"__**….**__"_

"_Listen to our Mother, Eliel."_

_**I don't understand, Aïon. **_

"_Listen well to her voice. She is the Fai…"_

"_**Wait, Aïon!!! I want to see you ! "**_

_

* * *

But… will Little Butterfly survive in a world different from his__ cocoon, a world he does not fit in?_

**

* * *

6, No****vember 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall**

It was his first morning as a student. It felt great. He had not forgotten why he had come here but he thought it was nice to be a student again...Without Ron. Without Hermione. Without Draco. It was odd. And at the same time it was very thrilling. He had already met interesting people. Elena, Alexis and Alastor, Theophile, Lucius...

He glanced up as someone sat next to him. He met Elena's smiling eyes.

"Hello Harry. Slept well?"

"Yeah. And you?" he replied.

"Same here"

Elena looked at him. He had somewhat changed since yesterday. He was a bit less...cold. Perhaps his distant behavior had been due to the fact that he knew no one. Or perhaps he was acting. Acting...She found herself staring at him. She knew nothing of him, yet she did not think he would be acting. Why would he need to ?

"Find me handsome?" Harry jokingly asked, not even bothering to gaze up.

"You're mistaken. I merely find you intriguing" she replied calmly.

Her soft voice reminded Harry of Luna. Sweet, air-headed yet very realistic Luna. Luna who had helped him. Luna who had supported him. Luna who had congratulated him for bonding with Aïon. Sweet, sweet Luna who had died. Killed by Alecto. _**Slaughtered**_..

"Malfoy is looking at you, Harry" Elena said, discreetly peering at his reaction.

Harry showed no reaction. He could care less about Malfoy Senior....He needed to find Aïon. His dream had been so vivid...

"Really? Should I feel flattered?" Harry replied in an utterly dispassionate tone.

"Well, it depends on how you see him."

"If you want to know he's far from being my idol" Harry said.

"Figures..."she muttered, though she noticed he seemed to know Lucius even though he had just arrived at Hogwarts…Strange.

They were interrupted by the arrival of Harry's roommates. Alexis still looked sleepy and was clinging to Alastor as though he was ready to fall on the floor to resume his sleep. Theophile greeted Elena and Harry and sat in front of the dark-haired wizard.

"You really are up early" Alastor commented.

"Yeah. Couldn't sleep any longer" Harry replied abruptly.

Alastor seemed to sense the tinge of uneasiness and menace Harry's voice held for he did not try to push the question. Harry gulped down a last glass of orange juice and sat up. Elena did the same. Harry stared at her.

"I have to show you the way to your classes" Elena simply said.

"Oh. Okay"

Elena wondered if Harry already knew the way. He was new here, true, but he had seemed rather puzzled and annoyed by her statement. It was yet another mystery to the boy. The two of them walked out of the Great Hall, Lucius' eyes never looking away from them.

The night before, Lucius had opened his father's letter in which Abraxas Malfoy had utterly ordered him to keep an eye on the new student and see if he could be a valuable asset to the Dark side. On the other hand, Abraxas had told his son he would do some research on the Evans family.

Lucius was sure the boy was powerful. And he was sure his name, Evans, was the name of the Pureblood Family, and not the name of a Muggleborn unlike Lily Evans. But he had yet to confirm his suspicions. He had talked a bit about it with Regulus. The Black Heir had attentively listened to him. His conclusion had been "I'll keep an eye on him too." Neither had talked about it again.

He was once again enthralled by the way the boy moved around. Clear, poised, quiet steps. The boy had a grace and beauty that could certainly match up to Regulus' or Lucius' own manners. He observed the way Evans talked with Rosebury and wondered what they could be discussing about. Evans was talking to Rosebury but would he be giving her orders, Lucius thought, he would look exactly the same. Indeed, Evans' face was totally closed and unreadable as he talked. Almost frighteningly void of any emotion. And Lucius thought that it was very enticing.

"Mother sent me a letter early this morning. She said she had some information concerning the Evans family" Agatha suddenly blurted.

"Good." Lucius replied.

"Rosebury is being extremely interested in the new student don't you think?" Aristide asked Gloria.

The Parkinson heiress looked thoughtfully at the Ravenclaw pair and frowned. Her eyebrows creased, showing her concentration. Aristide patiently waited for an answer.

"I think she's intrigued by him. She feels something but I don't think it's lust" Gloria then said.

"How do you know? She hasn't stopped following him since yesterday. I'm sure she must be head over heels like all the other girls because of his pretty face" Aristide sneered.

"Well if you don't want to listen to my answer there's no point in asking me…Besides I'd like you to notice that I'm not _head over heels_ for the new guy. Thanks for sharing your nice thoughts with us once again, Aristide" Gloria growled.

She stood up and walked out of the Great Hall. No one tried to stop her.

"You should stop saying things like that, Aristide. It's wrong to hurt someone so deeply" Agatha said emotionlessly.

"It's wrong, it's wrong…How can you say that it's wrong? I just said what I was thinking! Besides if you can't handle something like that you should go to Hufflepuff instead of being here." Aristide thoughtlessly replied, his voice dripping with smug self-satisfaction.

"You're horrible, Aristide" Agatha shot back though she did not seem particularly annoyed nor angry "You should reflect on your attitude".

Agatha stood up and went after her friend. Agatha Nott and Gloria Parkinson were childhood friend and had grown up together. Their parents had a strong friendship thus the two girls had always been together. Always. Even when apart, they would send each other letters every day just to make sure that the other was fine.

"Humph! she's always so righteous! she really should be a Hufflepuff! It's annoying…" Aristide said to no one.

"Quiet Aristide. Agatha is right. Apologize to Gloria when you see her" Lucius snapped.

Aristide grew silent and nodded fearfully.

Regulus had to hide his smirk. He was rather fond of Gloria so seeing her being insulted by Aristide had been quite annoying. However seeing Lucius tell Aristide to keep his mouth shut was like savoring a fine wine. He had always thought Rosier Junior was too high and mighty when actually there were plenty people who were much better than him… Aristide's father, though, was humble and kind. Regulus did not know where Aristide had taken his attitude from.

He glanced back at the young Rosier who was now brooding under the clear, kind eyes of Chrysie.

"Do we have Potions today?" Chrysie asked, her melodious voice snapping Aristide out of his thoughts.

"Yeah. It's going to be fun since Dumbledore put us with the Gryffindors…again." Aristide smiled cheerfully.

Chrysie nodded, a little smirk tugging her lips. Regulus sighed. How Chrysie managed to be this kind towards this little prat was something beyond his knowledge. But then again, Chrysie was kind to everyone. Clever and kind. A nice friend indeed. She was not like Gloria who strived to do the best, nor was she like Agatha who always judged everyone's acts. Chrysie was devoted to the others. She had a rather low self-esteem…that was bad for a Pureblood. But caring for others made her happy. That was how she was.

Lucius suddenly stood and walked away. Aristide immediately followed as though he was a little puppy. Regulus calmly finished his breakfast without rushing and followed them, along with Chrysie.

_

* * *

What will you do when your secrets are unraveled, Little Butterfly?_

**

* * *

6, November 1964. Hogwarts. Dungeons. Potions' class. **

"JAMES POTTER AND SIRIUS BLACK!!!" Curtis Jacobson, the Potion professor screamed, his face flushing red.

The two boys looked up at him, their eyes wide-open, seemingly innocent. They smiled at him. However that was not the exact reaction Curtis wanted. Damn those boys! They were in 7th year!! They were going to graduate soon!!! And still what were they doing? Bickering and sabotaging the Slytherins' potions, as when they were still 1st years…

He forced himself to relax and stared at the two Gryffindors.

"Mr. Potter. And Mr Black. I want a 2-feet long report on why and how _**that**_ potion went from blue to green" he said, pointing at the unfortunate Sytherin's potion James had messed up, "and how you would have to proceed if you want to rectify it. And when I say 'how you would have to proceed', I want the names of the ingredients you need to add and the description of how you're going to stir the potion".

"Yes, sir" James and Sirius immediately answered.

Curtis narrowed his eyes at them. "And don't ask Mr Lupin or Miss Evans for the answers", he added.

The two pranksters stared in shock at their professor. The Slytherins snickered.

"I wasn't intending to help him" Lily said.

"Good." Curtis replied.

"Remus!" Sirius exclaimed, looking at his friend with large watering eyes.

"No. I've got my own homework to do. Sorry" Remus said with a broad smile.

James groaned. Sirius banged his head on the table.

"Oh! Wonderful! You're really brilliant, Mr. Snape! Good work!" Curtis beamed as he looked at Severus' cauldron.

The potion was bright blue, almost shining. Green flecks swirled on the surface, dancing a captivating ballet. It smelled of fresh herb, wet soil and eucalyptus (N/A: Eucalyptus is effective for healing). Severus let out a tiny smile on his face.

"Ha! Snivellus got praised again! Look at him…" James whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear him.

Severus' face darkened and the look in his eyes hardened, becoming much colder. Lily threw a worried glance at her Slytherin friend and snorted at James' silliness.

"Mr Potter. That makes it a 3-feet long report" Curtis said.

"What?"

"Don't talk back or I'll have to keep you in detention tonight. Perhaps I should ask Mr. Filch if the toilets are to be cleaned?" Curtis raised an eyebrow at the boy.

James sighed while Sirius sniggered. Remus rolled his eyes at his best friends' antics. Though they were childish he still liked them nonetheless.

However Severus had not yet forgotten about the incident. In fact he still remembered all the times when he had been bullied by the Gryffindors. And he didn't even count the number of times he was injured by the Slytherins… One day he would make them all pay. Because he would be the Dark Lord's trusted Potion Master and the Dark Lord would allow him to torture anyone he wanted. And when that time comes, he will unleash his repressed anger on those who hurt him. He clenched his fists and focused on his potion book. On the first page, he ragingly wrote with his sharp handwriting : _The Half-Blood Prince. _Oh yes, one day he would be a Prince.

Lucius looked at the quiet Slytherin. Severus' back was straight. He looked very stiff. His shoulder-length hair were untied. He was sitting alone at his table. No one had wanted to work with the _**outcast**_. Even the Mudblood was sitting next to the ragged Remus Lupin, leaving her "friend" Severus alone. Lucius found the thought quite amusing. He saw Severus write something on his book. The boy shivered. Lucius wondered whether Severus was cold or frightened. But perhaps the shiver was one of pleasure. A shiver of anticipation. Lucius elegantly snorted.

A small note landed before him. Lucius looked inquisitively at Chrysie who winked at him. He raised an eyebrow and stretched out his long, pale fingers to take the note and unfold it.

_Seems like Evans is average. No particular talents. _

He turned his head and stared once more at Chrysie, narrowing his eyes. He noticed a small glint of silver. Ah, that was it…Chrysie was a clever girl. Perhaps the most clever girl he knew. In their 3rd year she had transformed mere Galleons into small devices for communicating with someone else. She had put a charm on the pieces as well as a protection spell to make sure no one else saw the medallions. She had given one to Lucius, Regulus, Gloria and Agatha. She had given none to Aristide because Lucius had been afraid the young Rosier would brag about it one day. After all Aristide was not known for his prudence …

Gloria had not taken Potion classes. She did not like Potions. She should currently be in her Divination classes… So that only left Agatha since Aristide had no medallion. Agatha was in her Defense Against the Dark Arts' classes… as surprising as it could be. But that was good. Slytherins needed to assist to the DADA's classes because as one would say, _know the enemy you're going to fight with_….

He hid the note in his pocket and reminded himself to ask more questions to Agatha at lunch. Was the power he "saw" around the boy a mere illusion?

**

* * *

**

_Someone set his eyes on Little Butterfly...and was enthralled_

**

* * *

13, ****December**** 1990. Ireland. "The Lair". East Wing. The Sacrifices' Room. **

Vladimir was sitting on the floor. He had left his heavy distinctive robes, that showed he was the Leader, and had put on dark plain clothes that were more fit for combat. However there would be no fight today. Only an easy killing.

The door opened and a vampire stepped in, holding a woman by the arm. Actually the woman wasn't much conscious. She was barely standing on her feet and her eyes were rolling. Seems like seeing a vampire had been too much of a shock. He sneered in disgust as he eyed distastefully the skinny, old woman. He stood and kicked her in the ribs. She moaned in pain, unconsciously clenching her fists. Vladimir snorted.

"You've done well, Nikolas. Get out" He snapped, his eyes staying on the pitiful figure sprawled on the floor.

The vampire closed the door behind him, walking away as silently as a shadow.

Vladimir sighed and ran a hand through his finger. He felt weary and drained of his forces. He took out a small dagger and ran its blade on the wrinkled skin of the woman. Small scarlet droplets began to appear on the skin. It made his nostrils flare. He could have bitten her but biting was a rather intimate act, even for the most ruthless vampires. Biting could be a means to provide your 'meal' some pleasure. It was not something he wanted to do with this…old woman…He pressed the blade a little further into the arm and a thin stream ran down the fingers on the floor. He smirked.

"Well then, dear Petunia…Looks like you managed to be useful to your nephew before dying. That's nice of you" he murmured sarcastically.

Petunia Dursley writhed in her unconscious state, her mind still under the vampire's control though her body definitely felt the pain of being drained of its blood. Vladimir had asked for Petunia Dursley's abduction, and had ordered for her to be put under a mind control so that she would be conscious and try to escape.

His eyes flicked over the large circle he had drawn with some chalk on the ground. He dipped a finger in the pool of blood and meticulously began to redraw the 10 feet-in-diameter circle with blood. The chalk quickly soaked up the blood. In the corner, Petunia Dursley had stopped shivering and her arm was laying, unmoving, on the floor.

He then looked at the book he had found after ten days of research. A book on Time-travels. A book that would help him to protect his young serpent.

_Time-travels are not a small matter. Wizards have often tried to perform this but Nature is not to be defied and many of them have been stuck in temporal gaps, floating somewhere between two eras. However those who have succeeded have been able to change what they did not want to happen. It shall be wise to remind, however, that changes are not always for the best and that Time can take its revenge on us. As for us, Vampires, the Time-Travels __are as difficult and dangerous as it is for Wizards. Even our stronger constitution and our better mind control are of no help. That, I presume, should be enough to dissuade you to perform this difficult incantation. _

_If you are, though, desperate and willing to go against the Fates I can all but tell you how to proceed. _

_First, draw a 10 feet-in-diameter circle and trace its contours with the blood of a person who lives at the time you want to go back to. If you want go back more than ten or twenty years ago, it is likely that you cannot have the blood of a person who lives at that __time. In that case, you are to take the blood of this person's descendant or of anyone who has blood ties with this person. However, the closer those people are, the better it will be._

_Then, draw a square in the exact middle of the circle. The corners of the square must touch the circle. Of course, you have to draw it with blood. _

_Be careful not to step on the blood. If you erase even one millimeter of the circle, your incantation could leave you stuck in a temporal gap…. _

_Thirdly, put a dead serpent in the middle of the square and use the serpent's blood to paint the inside of the square. The serpent has to be a __royal cobra. It represents the goddess of Time and Destruction Shesha, which comes from India. It will help you to go back in time and destroy your current era, leaving nothing but a blank period that your actions in the past will fill with new consequences. With the serpent's blood you also have to write the name of the person you want to see and your own name._

_Lastly, stand before the circle (at any distance you'd like) and repeat this chant: _

_Time shall flow back to its origin_

_Let us defy the Fates_

_For we shall bear responsibility_

_For any dramatic change that occur_

_Time shall open itself to us and show us the road_

_I offer myself to the Fates_

_My body and Mind shall bow to the Fates. _

Vladimir put the book aside and began to draw the square. Then he took out of a cloth a cobra he had tracked down yesterday, and laid it in the middle of the square and used the animal's blood to paint the inside of the square and to write Harry's name. He wondered whether he should just write the first name and the surname or all the names… He chose to write all of them. Slowly the names "Harry Eliel Kreshnik Potter" and "Vladimir Aleksandër Lirim" formed on the ground, the letters shining in deep crimson.

He took a deep breath, even though there was no need to upon considering his vampiric nature, and began to repeat the small chant.

He felt the blood of Petunia Dursley, Harry's aunt react to the spell. He could smell it…The blood was _**shivering**_…It recognized the call of Harry's aura. He licked his lips. He would meet Harry very soon. Yes his Kreshnik would soon have to cope with him. Vlad intended to make Kreshnik understand how much he had made Vlad worry….Just wait, you brat!

The serpent's skin seemed to glow. The crimson-painted square was suddenly adorned with strange symbols. Ancient Vampire language. The language only Old Pureblood Vampire Families knew. Vlad was definitely one of those few who could read it. The words made him involuntarily shiver **: **_"Time shall take its revenge upon those who defied them."_ The two names shone and looked like as though they had been carved into the ground.

Vladimir felt a strong pull and next, he was in a white limitless space. A young female voice echoed. Vladimir saw no one.

_Dē__st __þū wīllan tō hwæthwegu, mīn bearn? [Do you wish for something, my child?]_

_**show yourself ! **_

_Mīn bearn….þū bist andgietléas… [My child…you are foolish…]_

The whiteness faded and he hit the ground. He groaned. What had that been? Was it a temporal gap? Had it been the Fates? What had they told him?

He rubbed his head and looked around. It seemed he had landed in the garden of his own manor. He laughed. The past smelt good.

_

* * *

Little Butterfly has left his cocoon…But his past life tracks him down over and over…_

**

* * *

6, November 1964. Hogwarts. ****Great Hall then North Wing.**

Lucius was disappointed. The new student had been sorted in Ravenclaw and thus, could not be observed much for Slytherins were paired with Gryffondors almost all the time. He wanted to be in the same class as Evans to keep an eye on him... He still felt like Agatha had been missing something. As if he himself had not noticed something very important.

Yes, the boy was quite withdrawn and did not attract much attention. Yes, he had not shown any particular magic skills. Yes, there wasn't any rumor about him… But even as Harry Evans wasn't speaking much, Lucius could still feel a strong interest towards the new student. Evans stood up, brushing the walls as he passed by the other students to walk out. Yes, Evans was very quiet and unnoticeable indeed. Almost unnoticeable. For anyone else, Evans might be unworthy of one's attention safe for his pretty face, but for someone as Lucius, even the way Evans walked sparked his interest. Evans walked quietly but each of his steps were very smooth and graceful, commanding and poised, noble and dignified. Even when he walked near the walls. It was ethereal. Lucius had an inkling the boy held secrets. Dark, heavy secrets.

This time, he noticed, the Ravenclaw prefect was not sticking to the new student. She was not even there. Perhaps talking with a teacher...He decided to use this opportunity and observe the new boy a little longer. He quickly instructed Regulus and Chrysie to keep an eye on Aristide and Gloria who were currently silently glaring at each other, their wands tightly gripped in their fists under the table. Regulus muttered a "No problem" while Chrysie smiled and advised him to quickly go away before the new student could go wander in some remote places.

And there he was, following the boy as if he was a stalker. He quickly cast an invisibility spell on himself and walked a bit faster so that he was only a few steps behind the boy.

Harry repressed his laugh. Here was Malfoy. If someone had said to him few years ago that Malfoy Senior would one day stalk him without intending to kill, he would probably have laughed into their face. He was not able to use his creature-side's power for the potion he had taken had locked his abilities, but after spending nearly 20 years in the middle of a gruesome war, he was quite used to 'feeling' presences. And he knew the person who was walking behind him was Lucius Malfoy. He had seen the glances and, most of all, the stares he had been receiving from the Malfoy heir.

He could not turn around and blow his facade by telling Lucius to go away. After all, only very powerful people had to be able to sense someone else's presence. But he really needed to make the blonde stop following him.

Suddenly, Lucius stopped. In front of him, the dark-haired boy had abruptly stopped walking. The Malfoy heir wondered why Evans had stopped in the middle of the path. He blinked as the boy suddenly ran. Had he been visible, he would not have gaped. Had the boy forgotten something in his room? He realized that he should ran after the boy if he did not want to lose track of him. He ran too, turning left just like the smaller boy had a few seconds ago. He then found himself in an empty corridor. His widened eyes turned into narrow slits as he inspected the corridor and its walls. Where could have the boy gone? The doors were all locked and there was no staircase here. It was a dead-end. He was still fuming over this seemingly unsolvable mystery as he stomped away, mentally cursing the new student for not making things easier.

Little did he know that Harry Evans was actually looking at him, merrily laughing.

There was a secret passage here. All he had needed was a few seconds, enough to let Malfoy a few steps behind, touch the wall and let the passage close behind him. He was quite satisfied with the way all of this had turned out. However, he soon realized his mistake as he heard some voices.

"I told you…He's here. I definitely saw him on the map!" someone furiously whispered.

"Yeah I know but…"

"He must be somewhere. Perhaps a secret -"

"But he's a new student! He could not know of any passageway!"

"Shh! Quiet, Sirius! Moony, you smell anything?"

"Ummm….uh there's a faint odor. But it's really light. I really don't know -"

"Okay! Let's look!"

"Siriu-"

"Shhh!"

Harry let out a sharp breath. He certainly did not want to attract the Maraudeur's attention…. He waited. And closed his eyes.

"There it is!" he heard Sirius exclaim.

He gripped his own shirt until his knuckles turned white. Through his eyelids he felt the light hit his face. He cursed. A light chuckle made him open his eyes.

"Hey there!" James said, a bright smirk adorning his thin face.

"Yeah…sure…" Harry groaned. Why did he have to be so unlucky?

He walked out of the secret passageway and straightened his clothes, brushing the dirt off his clothes with the back of his hand. He huffed and started walking away when a hand gripped his wrist. He snarled and freed himself.

He met black eyes.

"You're Harry Evans, right? Close up, you really look a lot like James!" Sirius marveled.

Harry did not answer. He kept his eyes on the wall, desperately wanting to get out of here. He did not know how to face the godfather he had seen die, how to face the father he had never seen…

"Sirius, I think you're scaring him" Remus intervened.

Harry scoffed. As if a young Sirius would ever frighten him! He had seen worse…he had lived with Alecto, he had tried escaping Voldemort for nearly 20 years… he certainly could put up with a pushy Sirius Black.

"He scoffed at me, James!" Sirius whined.

James guffawed, his dark brown eyes closing and his teeth showing. Harry stared at him. That boy was…his father.

"Yeah we look a lot alike but I already asked my dad and he told me there was no one in our family named Harry Evans" James said, still laughing softly "but … err…are you an acquaintance of…Lily?"

James blushed. Harry smirked. His last name had caught James' attention…He decided he should be prudent and wore his best 'I'm innocent' face.

"Lily? Who's that?" he asked in a child-like voice, with a slight lilt.

"Ah! Err…never mind!" James promptly shot back, much to Sirius and Remus' utter amusement.

"But how did you discover this passageway?" Remus asked.

"I…I found it" Harry replied, his face once again cold and impenetrable.

"You were being chased down by Malfoy weren't you? We saw his name on the m-"

"Sirius!!" James shot a horrified look at his best friend. The Maraudeurs could not afford to be caught with the map! It was an object that was almost…-almost!- illegal!

"Oops. Sorry" Sirius said with an apologetic smile. Harry though could tell that his godfather wasn't so much sorry…He still wore that little brand smirk of his.

Harry pretended he hadn't noticed the little slip and walked away. This time, no one tried to stop him. He made a few steps then paused. Remus looked at Harry Evans' back, a little puzzled. There was something a little …off about the boy. Not particularly bad, but a bit disconcerting. He did not know what it was but his instincts were telling him to pay attention to the boy.

"By the way…try to be a bit nicer. Perhaps this…_Lily_ will like you much more if you're kind, James" he said cryptically.

He turned his head a little and winked at his father. James merely gaped at him.

_

* * *

Can Little Butterfly really afford to form ties with those he shouldn't be with?_

**

* * *

7, November 1964. Hogwarts. Potions Class. **

"Hello. I'm Harry Evans. I should have come yesterday but I still had not chosen whether I should take Potions Classes or not" Harry swiftly said.

Curtis Jacobson smiled warmly.

"It's okay. The Headmaster already informed me. I'm rather happy in fact. I hope you're good in Potions!" he replied with a soft laugh.

Lucius watched as his new centre of interest bowed his head ever so slightly and showed no particular emotion. The face of Slytherin. That was what Lucius saw.

"why don't you sit over there?" Curtis proposed, pointing his finger at the empty place near another Ravenclaw student at the back of the class.

Harry's eyes roamed over the class quickly. He caught sight of a young boy with dark hair who was alone, in the corner of the class, in the first row. He forced himself to smile gently to his professor and showed Severus Snape.

"I think I'll sit here, Professor. My sight is rather poor, I'd prefer to be in the front of the classroom" he said sweetly.

"Oh, okay"

Curtis was a little taken aback. No one ever sat near the young Snape. The Gryffindors hated the young Potion prodigy for Potter and Black loathed him, the Slytherins hated him because he was an "outcast": not classy enough, not handsome enough, no particular aura, … Harry Evans was the first to approach the young Slytherin. But then again, he was new so perhaps he still knew nothing of Severus Snape… Even Lily Evans had stopped trying to befriend the young Snape. Speaking of which, were the Gryffindor prefect and the new student related?

Harry sat next to Severus and took his time to look at the man who had been his Potion Professor. The boy's hair were not greasy, his nose looked quite normal, but his demeanor was totally opposite to the one Harry was used to. While Harry had always been mentally tortured by the "greasy bat" as Ron liked to call him, he had always admired the man for the way he spoke and walked: Severus Snape was supposed to act coldly, firmly, with his back straight, his chin held high and his eyes glinting with hatred. He was not supposed to be a frail boy, all huddled before his table, slouching over his book, his eyes hidden under the bangs of hair.

He did not bother to try exchanging friendly words with Snape. He knew that was something the boy would not care for. Severus Snape was someone whose admiration could only won with your wits and skills.

He eyed the potion and smirked. A piece of cake… The 'Fortis' Potion. One who could make anyone as strong as ten men… He noticed the potion was dark grey and concluded that Snape had just added the crushed tip of the unicorn's horn two or three minutes ago. He took the dragon's scale that was surprisingly thin and began slicing it neatly. He looked with a satisfied smirk at his work. He handed it to Snape.

Severus looked up, a surprised look flashing through his charcoal eyes. The slices were…perfect. He had never seen anyone else pay that much attention to the ingredients. He smirked. Perhaps this new student would not be such a nuisance after all…He took the dragon's scale without a word and tossed it in the cauldron.

Stir twice clockwise. Wait. Stir once counterclockwise. Wait. Add the …mandragora. The new student had already cut it. He eyed the work his classmate had done and slightly nodded. The pieces of the mandragora's root were one inch-long. The perfect size to make a good potion. Pieces that were too big were difficult to heat and dissolve in the liquid. Those that were too small dissolved too quickly and did not have the time to fully impregnate the other ingredients with its fragrance and magical properties.

"Thank you" Severus muttered, hoping that the other boy would not hear him, and he took the plate to put the mandragora's root in the potion.

The potion turned pale grey and tiny golden specks appeared on the surface. Harry smiled. He watched Severus as the quiet boy was looking intently at his potion, completely riveted by it.

Lucius quirked an eyebrow as he witnessed the strange complicity that had formed between Severus and the new student. In fact Severus did not even seem to be bothered by the fact that someone was sitting next to him. He looked quite relaxed, sitting on his chair, his shoulders did not seem to be stiff, his legs were dangling in the air, his hand firmly kept the pencil between the fingers but it did not clutch at the pencil. He wondered why. Because Severus was not one to trust people so easily. Especially when he was being bullied every day, everywhere, by anyone.

It was strange. If Severus did not seem conscious of the new presence by his side, he was not really being friendly …That was not surprising. But the new student never made an effort to befriend Severus. The two boys kept a small but very concrete distance between them, always shifting a little away if one of them had to step closer to take an ingredient. Never brushing, never touching, their hands, their robes, everything was kept away from the other. Yet, they both seemed very comfortable with each other. He would have to ask some questions to Severus …

Harry bent his head and, hidden by a bang of hair, smirked. He could feel Malfoy's gaze on his back. Was the blonde still angry at him for their little….encounter? If he had not been in class, Harry would have laughed. The great Malfoy was intrigued by him…How strange how much things could change.

Soon, the professor roamed the classroom, shooting glances left and right to see how the potions were. As he passed by Harry, he stilled. The new student seemed to be doing pretty well and Severus was not bothered by his new classmate.

"Oh! that's great, you two!" Curtis exclaimed "the potion looks perfect. Good work!" he praised them.

Harry nodded stiffly while Severus did not even bother to answer the professor's bright smile. Curtis chuckled. Those two seemed compatible…both quiet and withdrawn. Well at least they were doing more than fine in his class…

**

* * *

**

_It's easy for Little Butterfly to make one smile...but who will be there to make Little Butterfly smile?_

**

* * *

7, November 1964. Hogwarts. Library. **

"Severus Snape." he said, his voice sharp.

Severus looked up from his book. Was the boy here to bully him too? He narrowed his eyes but quickly bent his head, offering his pale neck to Harry's eyes. He stayed like this, hoping that the boy would leave. Instead, a deep and cold chuckle echoed in the empty library. Severus immediately tensed, very wary of the smaller boy. He stiffened and waited to see what would happen to him.

Harry sat in front of Severus, noticing the pale boy's surprised look.

"Thought I was going to use you as a target's practice?" Harry said distastefully.

Severus did not answer, his eyes stuck on Harry as if to see if he would do any brusque gesture, hit him or hex him. Harry sighed.

"I aren't in Slytherin am I?" Harry drawled, almost groaning "I just wanted to see what book you're reading."

"You may be in Ravenclaw but you've got the same face as some Slytherins…" Severus shot back, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Aaah…my face? I was told that I look a lot like a certain Gryffindor…" Harry teased him lightly.

Severus suddenly backed a little away, pushing his chair farther from the table.

"Listen, just speak a bit with me" Harry pleaded though his voice was still unwavering.

"…you're pitying me, aren't you? well too bad, I don't need you-"

"I'm not. But well if I'm bothering you, I think I might be better leaving you" Harry snarled, a flash of annoyance flashing through his eyes.

The new student turned on his heel and walked away. Severus suddenly felt the urge to call out for Evans. The boy had been nice after all…and he was quite good in Potions…

"Evans!" he said.

The boy did not turn back. Evans was reaching for the doorknob…

"Evans! I'm sorry!"he shouted.

"Much better" was the reply he received.

Severus glared at him which earned him a low chuckle.

"You're a Slytherin, I knew it" Severus growled though happiness was shimmering in his eyes.

"Maybe…maybe not…so what is it that you're reading?"

"_Dangers of creating Potions"_

"Create? You plan to creation your own potions? nice!" Harry said. Then he smiled. A small smile. A smile that did not reach his eyes. But a smile nonetheless.

"…yeah. Thank you."

Harry did not speak anymore to him after that and merely stayed there, in the chair in front of him, watching Severus read his book. From time to time, Severus would peek above his book at the Ravenclaw. Each time, Harry would stare at him. And inwardly, Severus wondered why Harry seemed to know him. Because he himself had never met Harry before.

"Shouldn't you go and eat?" Severus asked, sounding more annoyed than intended.

"You aren't, are you?" Harry merely replied mischievously.

"I can eat afterwards. I know the way. You'll come with me" the Ravenclaw added after a while.

It was yet another mystery. How did he "know the way"? Wasn't he new here? And what was that way he was speaking about? Severus shrugged and decided it would be too much trouble trying to question the other boy. Might as well not try to pry into Harry's secrets. Everyone had secrets. Severus knew that all too well.

He enjoyed Harry's presence throughout the evening. Neither of them went down to the Great Hall to eat.

**

* * *

Theophile comes from the greek words [theos] and [philos]. It means "one who is loved by the gods". **

Theophile Goldsmith does not appear much in this chapter. His name already shows that he usually has luck. You will see that he's very pleasant to be with and he'll become a great friend. He has been gifted with many qualities and somehow always manages to succeed in what he makes.

**Alexis comes from the greek first name Alexandros, which itself comes from the greek [Alexein]. It means either "to protect" or "to push back". Here I chose to use the meaning "to protect". **

One of the twins is named Alexis. His name means "the one who protects". I think it's a great name. He has always lived with another half, if I dare say, and his twin surely means a lot to him. He is the kind of guy who will make anything to keep his twin brother safe but generally speaking, he kind of tries to protect anyone he likes.

**Alastor is a greek word that means "the avenging god"**

He is Alexis' twin brother. His name is somewhat a bit opposite to Alexis, holding a much more threatening meaning. However everything is not as it seems to be…I think that protecting someone can sometimes lead you to extreme measures. Alastor is someone who has a great sense of justice. He'll go through many hardships along with his brother and that will be when you'll understand why he is the "avenging god".

**Aleksandër is an Albanian version of the name Alexander, which comes from the same name than "Alexis". Alexander is the name that was used for Alexander the Great and usually showed that the man was strong and very skilled in fighting. **

Vladimir's status is not for show. He is strong, and somehow, even Aïon, who was the former General of the vampire army (which does not exist any longer) is no match for Vladimir. Till now, none of you has seen Vlad fighting but believe me, this time will come…

**Lirim is an Albanian name that means "freedom". **

That is Vlad's family name. Vladimir, the prince who reigns with peace, and also the one who is strong in battle…His family name shows that he does not use his power to establish a tyranny over his people. He has, as I already said, a strong sense of justice, love and duty. He loves freedom more than any other vampire.


	3. Play with the Fates

**Books : **_Harry Potter_

**Rating: **M

**Title : **_Little butterfly and the Fates_

**Chapter : **3

**Status : **On-going

**Words : **6875

**

* * *

OoO**

**Chapter 3**

**Play with the Fates**

**OoO  
**

* * *

"The man who fights the gods does not live long" _Iliad_, Book 5, Homer.

"All lies in the lap of the greater gods" _Iliad_, Book 20, Homer.

**

* * *

7, November 1964. Hogwarts. Gryffindors' Common Room. **

The Gryffindors' Common Room was comfortable and gave off a warm feeling. The walls were draped with heavy and thick tapestries. All of them were either red or yellow. Not a carmine red neither a canary yellow. No, it was a bright red and a sun-like yellow.

The colors of Godric Gryffindor. The bright red was very candid. Like the renowned Gryffindors' frankness and lack of thinking. The sun-like yellow was very comforting. The perfect color to match the Gryffindors' kindness.

However there were exceptions. As in everywhere. The Maraudeurs. It was a name every student in Hogwarts had heard of. The code name of the famous pranksters. The ones who had made the hair of all the Slytherins turn red and golden. The ones who had made the professors' clothes turn into pink dresses and pointed bright blue hats. The ones who had hung up Filch's cat in the Great Hall and covered it with purple paint, which had come off only after one week.

The Maraudeurs were famous.

They were entertaining. But sometimes, they did things that could only elicit one's anger and indignation. Like when they bullied the young Severus Snape. They were the Gryffindors' pride and nightmare. It earned the Gryffindors the professors' amusement and kindness as well as it could make them lose a hundred points.

But right now, the Maraudeurs were not up to any prank. They were actively discussing about the new subject of the whole school's gossip. The new student, Harry Evans. Their encounter with the boy had been…odd.

"How do you think he could have known about that passageway?" Sirius asked eagerly.

"Honestly, I don't know" was James' immediate reply.

"What are you three up to?" a feminine voice interrupted.

"LILY!" James shrieked, nearly falling off of his chair.

Remus and Sirius laughed merrily upon seeing their friend blush furiously. Lily towered over them, her eyes roaming over the Maraudeurs. All of them were sitting either on a chair or on the ground, forming a small circle. They had been whispering for a while now and she was worried they had been planning another prank.

She squinted at them, trying to find out what they were up to. She was met with huge grins and light smirks. She sniffed loudly and her nose wrinkled in distaste. She met Remus' eyes and the young boy gave her a gentle smile, silently telling her that nothing was wrong.

"We were talking about the new student" Remus kindly said, finally breaking the heavy atmosphere.

"Harry Evans?" she asked, still a tad bit suspicious about the Maraudeurs.

"Yes. He's …well, a strange one" Sirius added.

"Hmm…I don't know. He seems interesting." Lily replied, without really thinking.

That earned her a horrified stare from James and a surprised glanced from Remus. Peter quickly looked at her, silently reminding himself to keep an eye on the new boy. After all, the brilliant Mudblood thought he was interesting…. And Peter himself had to acknowledge the powerful and scary aura Harry Evans had around him.

"But! Lily! That boy is….well…he's … you don't know him!" James whined.

"Are you jealous?" Sirius taunted his friend, poking him playfully on the cheek.

"But you have to admit there's something that draws you to him…" Remus countered in a thoughtful voice.

"I-I think I'd rather flee from him!" Peter shrieked.

"Yeah…He seems a bit …well, you know…dangerous?" Sirius nodded firmly.

"I did not sense anything dangerous coming from him" Remus replied "though I clearly smelt his power, he did not emit any murderous intent".

After a moment, the young lycanthrope added : "Plus, he's not in Slytherin". That very remark seemed to gain his friends' approval who all nodded. However, Lily pursed her lips and snorted.

"Yes! Of Course, everyone knows that Slytherins are evil and the Maraudeurs are just oh! so kind! Perhaps I was just hallucinating the other day when I saw you bullying Severus!" she exclaimed angrily.

"But Snivellus is-"

"James Potter! Try finishing your sentence and I'll hex the hell out of you!" Lily snarled, her eyes glinting with fury.

James thought that even though she was yelling at him, Lily was still the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. Without thinking, he blurted "You're really beautiful. Even when you're angry at me". Sirius guffawed while Remus and Peter cringed, waiting for the girl's reaction.

Lily gaped at him and swiftly spun around, without sparing the Potter heir another glance. The Maraudeurs stared at her retreating back. When the door of the girls' dorm closed behind her, they heard a loud yell "JAMES POTTER, YOU MORON!"

Sirius and Remus laughed out loud while James sighed and dropped his head in defeat.

* * *

_Little Butterfly draws attention, interest and suspicion when he should stay in the shadows…_

**

* * *

7, November 1964. Hogwarts. Slytherins' Common Room. **

"You couldn't find him?" Regulus looked at his friend in disbelief.

"No." Lucius ran a delicate hand through his flyaway hair "I looked around but there was no door. Nothing. I don't know where he could have gone. I didn't even smell anything."

Lucius' friends frowned. They all knew the few Veela's characteristics Lucius had inherited from his father -who himself had inherited it from his mother- were flawless. Lucius should have been able to smell the boy's presence.

"No one else was there?" Agatha asked.

"No one."

They remained silent. Eventually, Lucius sighed and turned towards the portrait that adorned the massive door.

"Tell me when Severus Snape comes back" he ordered the cavalryman.

The cavalryman in the picture nodded. Regulus and Gloria shot their friend a curious look, wondering why he would want to talk with the "black sheep", but they knew better than question him. Agatha seemed uninterested by that matter and Aristide refrained himself from asking the Malfoy heir what he wanted to do with the filthy Snape.

"Well, I'm going to bed" Agatha dispassionately said as she stood up and lightly brushed her robes with the back of her hand.

Gloria immediately rose to her feet and flashed a quick smile to her friends.

"I think I'll be going to bed too" she added. She turned around with her childhood friend and they both walked away. The door of their dorm shut behind their backs and Lucius did not hear their voices any longer.

Aristide snorted and pursed his lips. The young Rosier had always thought that this strong relationship the two girls shared was absurd. Why bother with someone else when it was already so hard to shine on your own? Aristide had never felt the urge to become friend with anyone. He was all right by himself.

"He's here" the portrait said.

Lucius slowly got up and made his way to the door.

"But he's not alone. There's a young boy with him"

Lucius shot a surprised glance to the cavalryman.

"Who?"

"I don't know. I've never seen him before" the portrait replied.

"Ah. Could it be he has long dark hair?" Lucius quickly asked, trying to mask his interest.

"yes. he's a very beautiful boy, if you want to know my opinion." the cavalryman nodded thoughtfully, obviously staring at the boy who was on the other side of the door.

Lucius elegantly sniffed. He opened the door and suppressed a grin as he saw Harry Evans' widening eyes. He noticed Evans had emerald eyes. Not the kind of eyes you see every day… It was a deep, vivid green. There was no other hue in those eyes. There was no touch of blue, no touch of grey…Nothing else but green. A very pure green. It was captivating.

Lucius tore his eyes away from the other boy and glanced at Severus. The two boys were obviously getting along well with each other. It made Lucius uneasy.

"I think I'll be going to my room now" Harry said, casting a swift glance at the blonde boy.

"Okay." was the only reply Severus could think of. He shot his newly made friend a thankful look. "See you tomorrow".

To say that Lucius was surprised would be an euphemism. The lonesome Severus was actually looking forward to seeing once again the new student! It was the first time Severus had shown such an attachment to anyone. And it was even more weird that he would voice his eagerness. Severus would usually keep quiet. "_See you tomorrow"_…..was Evans so special that he had already broken Severus' shell?

"Yeah. Good night" Harry replied. He did not even bother to say goodbye to Lucius Malfoy. After all, he did not want to speak to him. However it seemed that his utter lack of interest was not reciprocated.

"Why don't you come in, Harry Evans?" Lucius said, a tad bit surprised at his own words.

"I really ought to go." Harry firmly replied, shooting Lucius a cool and warning look.

Lucius shivered. Those eyes…He could see the power emanating from the boy. He could feel it now…Why hadn't he been able to before? It was intoxicating. This power resembled the one the Dark Lord held though it seemed calmer, warmer.

Harry turned on his heels. He had not much time left. The potion was already beginning to wear off. He could feel his magic come out of his body. He did not want Malfoy to notice it. He had to go back to his dorm and take another potion.

A hand grabbed his wrist. He broke free and turned around to snarl at the blonde Malfoy heir. However he was faced with Sirius. He blinked. It was not Sirius. The features were sharper. The eyes smaller. The expression colder.

"Lucius wishes you no harm. He merely wants to talk".

"I don't care. I've got something to do"

That was probably Regulus. Regulus Black. What an annoying guy. Why did he intervene?

"Please come in" Lucius added, wearing a light smirk on his pale face.

Harry gritted his teeth. How could he say no? He was not supposed to know who they were. He was supposed to be amnesic. And therefore he was not supposed to have any reason to hate them. He shouldn't know that they were Dark wizards. He shouldn't know that Regulus Black was Sirius Black's brother. He shouldn't know that Lucius Malfoy's father was Voldemort's favorite follower.

He shouldn't know that those guys were _**dangerous**_.

He felt the last restraints break and his power came out. The potion was no longer effective, but Harry had lived as the Boy-Who-Lived: he had been taught how to fight, how to hide his magical power, how to_ kill_… He quickly suppressed the waves of magic that were coming out of his body, though he knew he could not handle all of them.

After having drunk Aïon's blood, his power had drastically grown, and his body wasn't able to keep all of it inside anymore.

Lucius suddenly got goose bumps. He had clearly felt raw magic brush his skin. It made his hair stand on end. Such a delicious feeling. It was almost erotic. It was as though he had touched the skin of the most beautiful woman, the skin of a desirable woman, and at the same time, it felt very nostalgic… as if he _**knew**_ that woman, as if he had touched a woman who could be his mother. Yes, his mother…

It was exactly what it had felt like. It was as though he had met again with his mother, with the woman who had given him life…the woman who had given him his magical core.

Harry stepped in the Slytherins' common room. Severus shot a worried glance at his "friend". The Ravenclaw did not seem particularly frightened, nor did he seem happy. His face was blank. Totally blank. Like a vast snowy landscape.

It seemed that Lucius was interested in Harry. Severus did not know if it was good or bad news. Surely, Lucius wanted something from Harry. And if Harry did not meet his expectations…then nothing good could come out of it, Severus thought.

"Please, sit" Lucius offered, gesturing towards a comfortable armchair that was near the ash place.

Harry did not reply and merely took the seat that he had been offered. He watched silently as Lucius, Regulus, Severus and other Slytherins he did not know sat around him, either on the floor or on armchairs. He felt like a deer that had been trapped. He almost laughed at the thought…His nature was, however, not one that of a deer. Quite the contrary. He was used to be the predator. Being surrounded by people he knew were dangerous and people he did not know was making uneasy. Even if his powers were now released, he still did not wish to fight with those students.

"I have to thank you for befriending Severus" Lucius finally said, his eyes locked on Harry's lithe figure.

"…You're welcome" Harry merely replied. It was best to stay neutral and not give them any opportunity to strike. He did not need to attract unnecessary attention.

"…Are you perhaps a descendant of the great Pureblood family Evans?" Regulus said, sharing a look with his blonde friend.

"I'm afraid I'm not"

Lucius stared at the Ravenclaw. How could he not be a Pureblood with that power?

Then he felt it. That slight disturbance in his magic. It was very faint, but it was definitely there. The boy's magic was deeply intertwined with someone else's power. Someone who was not a wizard. Someone who was a _**creature**_. Was this the source of Harry Evans' power?

Lucius doubted that.

Even if this unknown magic seemed powerful, the boy's own power was obviously great. But it intrigued him. Was the boy a quarter just like him? Was that what he meant when he said that he was not a Pureblood? Or was he really a mere Mudblood gifted with a powerful magic?

Harry felt Lucius' eyes bore a hole in his body. He paid him no heed. Until he felt Malfoy's magic try to make his way into his own magic. He could feel the blonde's magic brushing his magical core. He quickly pushed it away. He looked up and met Lucius Malfoy's eyes. It had been brief but during the short time his magic had touched the blonde's own one, he had noticed the…strangeness of Malfoy's magic.

The blonde was a Veela. Not a full Veela, but a Veela nonetheless. And he knew about his nature….he knew Harry had vampire's blood running in his veins. The situation could not be worse.

"Does it mean that…you're a _**mix**_ ?" Lucius shot, his eyes silently challenging the boy to answer this question. His silver eyes were shining with excitement.

"…I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by that" Harry replied defiantly.

"I'm saying that you're no Pureblood, indeed. But you're no Mudblood either, Harry Evans…are you?" Lucius shot back. He felt Regulus' inquisitive gaze on him and Rosier's utter confusion, but he did not heed them any attention.

"My mother was a Muggleborn and my father a Pureblood. I guess that makes me a _**mix**_" Harry finally said, his vivid emerald eyes shooting a mocking glare at the blonde.

"Do not play dumb, Harry Evans. You know what I mean by _**'mix'**_..." Lucius warned. Why wouldn't the boy admit that he was a vampire already? He surely knew Lucius was a Veela, so he should know that having creature's blood would not be frowned upon, at least in this room…

The two boys wordlessly observed each other, their gaze slowly assessing each other, their magic brushing …Harry broke the contact as he abruptly stood up. He lowered his eyes and glanced at Severus who had sat on the floor, a few feet away from the little group.

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow. Good night." Harry turned away and was ready to step out when Lucius broke the heavy atmosphere.

"Did you receive your blood from a Pure one? … from an Ancient ?"

Harry froze. He forced himself not to turn his head and glare at the Malfoy boy. Lucius' voice had sounded so taunting! Harry could still hear the words ringing in his ears. He quickly assessed the situation. He could not deny the facts…Malfoy had let too much information slip out. However he could not say that he was a vampire. It was too risky. And if he gave them an ambiguous answer, Lucius and his friends would more likely try to get more information out of him…Well, perhaps it was the best solution. Still gazing at the door that was facing him, he smiled. A dark, twisted smile.

"What would you know about these things, Lucius Malfoy?"

He pushed the door and walked out of the room, walked a bit, heard the soft thud of the door that was closing, and sighed. He stood there a few seconds, trying to calm down. He needed to go back to his dorm and take a potion. He was easily irked when his vampiric attributes weren't suppressed.

_

* * *

_

_Little Butterfly cannot fly elegantly when he is trapped in a world that wasn't originally his. _

**

* * *

8, November 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall. **

Harry walked in the Hall. Nobody was up yet. It was a good thing. He tied his hair with a ribbon and sat down at the Ravenclaw table. He wondered if he could call any house elf and tentatively clapped in his hands. A house elf popped instantly in front of him, bowing its head.

"Hello, what's your name?" Harry asked with a small smile, thinking about Hermione.

"I'm Witty, young master"

"Witty, uh? Ah I suppose that's got something to do with your personality, right?"

"Yes, young master"

"Ah good…Could I ask you to bring me some pumpkin juice, please?"

"Yes. Is there anything else, young master?"

"…Could I ask for you exclusively when I am in need of something?"

"I think Headmaster Dumbledore will allow it, young master"

"And stop calling me young master, will you? Call me Harry ! " the young Ravenclaw added cheerfully.

"Yes, young master Harry"

"No ! not that! Call me Harry…just 'Harry'…"

"H-Harry…"

"Much better" Harry smiled.

The house elf disappeared, its head still bowed and Harry let his thoughts wander. He missed his friends…even though they had betrayed him. He had always been in need for love. He had thought his friends would never betray him but they had not hesitated twice doing so… But he did not regret it. Because Aïon was his most important person. His number one.

"Here, young - Harry" Witty said, appearing out of nowhere.

"Ah thank you, Witty!"

Harry took his glass of pumpkin juice and sipped it with delectation. When he was still a regular human he liked this juice, but since he had received Aïon's blood, he had grown quite fond of it. Or rather, he had developed an unseen love for any vegetable juice. He still had not found out why.

He sensed someone approach him and he unconsciously stiffened. He did not like when people tried to talk to him. Since his "friends" had betrayed him, he had not had any human contact. The only people he was used to talk to and touch were Vlad and Aïon.

This new year at Hogwarts was actually a tad bit frightening for him. He felt like he had forgotten how to interact with normal people…with people he did not know. Last night, he had felt very wary of everyone whenever one tried to get closer to him, almost touching him. He was not used being this close to _**strangers**_.

"Hello, Harry"

"Hello, Elena Rosebury" he replied smoothly, not even looking at her as she sat next to him.

"Call me Elena" she replied as indifferently as he, asking a house elf to bring her some toasts.

Harry never answered. He put down his glass on the wooden table and stared at the last orange droplets that slid down the glass. He knew the Ravenclaw prefect was staring at him but he chose to ignore it. If she had something to say, she would have to say it by herself…

"You have nightmares too." That was not a question.

Harry shrugged. She was wrong…Actually it was because of the vampiric blood that ran through his veins that he did not need to sleep much. He still needed to rest from time to time but he could easily stay awake for two or three days in a row. But technically she wasn't so far from the truth…

When he would fall asleep, his nightmares about Voldemort would still come to him. Even though he had defeated the "Dark Lord", even though he had found happiness with Aïon. Even though Harry had obtained this love he had longed for, the past never really left him. This night had been no exception.

He had fallen asleep and had seen Voldemort torturing and killing, no, _**slaughtering**_, _**shredding**_, _**skinning**_ Muggles and Mudbloods…and then he had woken up, panting heavily, tears in his eyes, his throat dry after screaming too much. He had slept for one mere hour.

"Yes" he replied. After all, one little lie would do no harm…He had already lied so much…

"Are there dead people in them too?"

"…"

"There are in mine. I see my parents. It's gruesome." Elena added. Perhaps Harry would answer her question if she told her some things about her too…Perhaps he had thought that she was only trying to obtain information.

"I don't know if talking about dead people when eating breakfast is a good idea" Harry said.

"You did not answer to my question" Elena stubbornly replied, her gaze firmly planted on Harry's handsome face. She marveled before his skin that seemed very smooth.

"What do you think, miss Prefect Rosebury?" He said humorously.

"So there are dead people in your nightmares….Your parents? Mine were killed by a vampire. My brother was the one who rescued me"

Harry subtly stiffened.

"A vampire? "

"Yeah. But all of them aren't like that, really ! I have a cousin who's one. And he's really nice !"

She noticed how Harry had tensed. So she wasn't wrong…Harry Potter may very well be a vampire…She had known it since the very moment she had laid her eyes on him. Since the very moment she had felt his cold aura around her, seen his cold glare…

Her thoughts were interrupted as the object of her interest stood up and began walking away.

"Class starts only in 1 hour"

"I know"

She wondered if she should follow him.

"I want to be alone" Harry said, not even bothering to turn around.

Elena slowly nodded though the boy could not see her. She watched as Harry's back got smaller as he strode away until the heavy doors shut behind him.

_

* * *

_

_Little Butterfly cannot escape his fate, no matter what the world he's in is. _

_His nightmares will follow him. _

**

* * *

8, November 1964. Hogwarts. Slytherins' Common Room.**

Lucius sat down in front of the fire, his hand tightly curled around a parchment. Agatha had given it to him the day before. It held crucial information about the Evans family.

He opened it carefully, silently admiring the softness of the paper.

_Evans…Jack…Mary…Peter…Finn…Orion…Grace…Rose…Terence…Ann…Clare…Jane…Icarus….Genievra…Bellatrix _- Lucius snorted upon reading the name - _Katie … Marcus… Nellie…Caesar _- Lucius raised a delicate eyebrow at the name and scoffed elegantly - _Helen…Dave…Lyra…Francis… _

No boy called Harry. He quickly looked through the parchment once again. There was no mistake. Harry Evans was not part of the ancient Pureblood family that was nearly extinct now. … Who was he then?

He thoughtfully held his chin between his thumb and his forefinger. His gaze skimmed across the parchment once again and he had to suppress an angry snarl. What an enigma…

He stood up, walked up the stairs to his room and strode to his desk. He eyed the quill and took it.

_Dear Father, _

_Agatha Nott presented me a parchment retracing the Pureblood Evans family. However, I have not seen anyone named Harry. But I'm quite sure this boy is powerful. He has Vampire blood. _

_Your son, Lucius. _

He paused. And if…if Harry Evans wasn't his real name? That would certainly explain the lack of information he was faced with. But why would an _**amnesic**_ boy want to hide his identity?

He took the quill once again and scribbled at the bottom of the page : _I have some doubts about his name. Is it his real name?_

He nodded, satisfied. He sealed the letter, put on two spells: one to prevent anyone else but his father to read it, another to automatically set the letter on fire once his father would have read it.

As he watched his owl fly away, he continued to ponder on the mystery that was named Harry Evans.

"Nothing on the boy?"

Lucius turned around to face Regulus who had just arrived. The Black heir seemed a little tired. His features looked sharper than usual, his eyes darker.

"No. I think he might have used a fake name"

"That's a possibility"

They stood like that, facing each other and thinking out this enigma.

"Tell the others to keep an eye on him in every class they share with him. If we can't gather any information till the next month, I'll ask Severus to prepare the _Genus_ potion"

Regulus stared at his blonde friend, a little taken aback.

"_Genus_? We'll need to corner him to make him drink it. Won't it be difficult?"

"No. I'll find a way" Lucius' sharp tone left no argument.

As he was going to go the bathroom, he felt a sharp, stinging pain. He glanced at Regulus and saw that his friend felt it too.

"The Dark Lord…" they both whispered, looking fearfully at the black mark that looked like an ominous ornament on their forearms.

"We can't leave now. It's too early" Regulus whispered, clutching his arm.

"We've got no choice. Let's go out"

"And the others? They must have been summoned too"

"Agatha has a Portkey similar to mine. And Aristide has a Portkey as well. They'll rejoin us afterwards"

Regulus nodded hesitantly. Soon, they were out of the castle, wandering in the Forbidden Forest. Deep in the shadows, no one would see them. Lucius took out a small pendant in the form of a small serpent made of jade. A little tug on the navel, and the two Slytherins were there no longer.

_

* * *

_

_Little Butterfly is a paradox: he's like a fire, drawing dangerous, dark moths to him. _

**

* * *

8, November 1964. Specific location unknown. In a forest. **

Soft "plops" were heard as more people arrived, either by apparating or by Portkeying.

Lucius and Regulus had brought their masks and capes before coming. They quickly readjusted the masks and went to complete the half-moon circle. Before his followers, Lord Voldemort stood proudly.

"Good to see that everyone arrived on time" the dark Lord drawled, his ruby eyes briefly skimming over Goyle junior.

Last time, Icturius Goyle, son of Nocturnus Goyle and Lectia Goyle -born Parkinson-, had deemed his dinner to be more important than the dark Lord's meeting. He had shown up five minutes late. Voldemort had practiced his cherished spell -_Crucio - _on the young boy. No one delayed a meeting with Voldemort.

The dark Lord surveyed his followers with a hawkish stare. The masks couldn't hide their fear. They were all shaking like leaves. Anxiety was coming from their whole bodies, rolling off them in waves. It was intoxicating. He liked feeling this fear. He liked having such a power on people.

"Tomorrow, we'll be going on a raid. Be sure to be there!" he paused a little, for more dramatic effect, taking in his most devoted followers' eagerness and the newest recruits' anxiety.

Surely, some people had appointments but it did not matter. He knew they would cancel all they had to do and that, just to please him. Tomorrow was Saturday. Many people would go to Diagon Alley.

"We're going to attack at 3.00pm. And we'll be at Diagon Alley. We'll apparate in front of Ollivander's shop. The inner circle will take care of all the important places like Ollivander's shop, the Leaky Cauldron, Flourish and Botts, the Potion shop, the Daily Prophet office. The newest recruits will take care of the small shops like the Menagerie, the Ice Parlour, Madam Malkin's clothes shop. Bring back whatever you deem could be useful to others will stay in the street and fight those who might try to attack. When the inner circle is done, I want them to go out in the Alley and fight. The Aurors won't take much time in arriving. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my Lord" they chorused, bowing down.

"Now leave. Don't be late. I want the inner circle to stay behind"

Everyone but the members of the inner circle left, bowing down in front of their Lord as they passed by him. Voldemort spared no glance to any of his followers. He was already focusing on his favorite Death Eaters. The Inner circle stood there, some anxious, others eager.

Voldemort smirked darkly. Even with the masks, he could tell who was who. The blonde hair gave away Abraxas Malfoy's identity. The crazed eyes laden with bloodlust were Cygnus Black's. The cold stared and the stern mouths were Orion and Walburga Black's trademark. The gaunt, darkened features and the stiff posture gave away Tobiah Nott.

"My dear followers…" he drawled. "Did your children report anything ? Orion Black?"

"My Lord, Dumbledore hasn't mentioned the attacks since the beginning of the year. It could be that he doesn't want to frighten the children and their parents" Orion replied, while Walburga slightly nodded, as if to confirm her husband's words.

"Old fool. Tomorrow's attack will be on the first page of the Daily Prophet. He will be forced to face the facts." Tom spat, his brown eyes briefly turning red. "Nott? Malfoy?"

"My Lord, Agatha told me there isn't anything unusual at Hogwarts. However, there is a new student whom she finds rather interesting."

"A new student? How interesting?" The Dark lord shifted a bit to the left, coming closer to the Nott patriarch.

"She didn't give me much details, my Lord. I'm sorry" Tobiah Nott bowed his head.

Voldemort snarled and curled his upper lip in distate.

"_Crucio_".

The proud Tobiah Nott tensed. His body felt as if it was on fire. His every fibers were set on fire, his muscles were stiff, his skin seemed to burn, his lungs seemed to be exploding and the loud thump in his head wouldn't cease. Finally, he gave in and screamed.

Voldemort watched him writhe on the ground for a few minutes then released him. Tobiah stood up, panting heavily and muttering a low thank you for stopping the spell. Voldemort snorted.

"My Lord, if I may speak, my son has talked about this student too" Abraxas spoke up.

"I hope you have more information to give me"

"The new student is called Harry Evans. He does not seem to be exceptional in any class, but my son insists that he can feel his power"

Tom nodded thoughtfully. His contemplation was interrupted by the loud flapping of an owl's wings. An owl appeared above their heads. The bird immediately went to the head of the Malfoy house, and left a letter in his hands.

Abraxas bowed low, knowing that interrupting the dark Lord's meeting could result in a Crucio.

"It's from my son, my Lord".

At those words, he saw the dark Lord's face shine with curiosity. He sighed with relief. He had just escaped to a séance of torture. He opened the letter and quickly let it go as it burnt.

"My Lord, Lucius did some research on the Evans family, and he seems to doubt that Harry Evans is the student's real name. And he says that…the boy has vampire blood"

Voldemort's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Vampire blood? That could certainly be useful. And if the boy was powerful…He had tried to sign an alliance with many Vampire clans, but each of them had refused, not wanting to mingle with the wizards. Why would a vampire be in Hogwarts, when vampires were so prone to stay away from "humans"?

"Did he say _has_ _vampire blood_ or _is a vampire_?"

"Has vampire blood, my Lord"

Voldemort chuckled. So that was why. The boy was not a vampire. Thus he could be at Hogwarts.  
He wasn't a vampire…but he was even better than that. He was a vampire's chalice.

"Tell your son to keep a careful eye on that boy. He may be useful to us"

"Yes, my Lord"

"Dismissed"

They bowed with one accord, their capes dancing upon the grounds, as they left.

Voldemort apparated out of the forest and in his manor. He thought about the mysterious boy. He didn't know why that boy was here, but he would be very useful. What would be better than a chalice to force a vampire to do something? If they had the chalice as a hostage, the vampire would do anything. The alliance with the vampires was not a problem anymore.

* * *

_Little Butterfly is slowly being trapped in the cobweb of the Fate and the snake is ready to devour its meal. _

**

* * *

9, November 1964. Hogwarts. Gryffindor's Dorm. **

"1.00 am…I should sleep" Harry whispered in the dark.

He sighed and shifted in his bed. He was restless since Aïon had…well, since he had seen Aïon for the last time. Last night, he had slept a mere hour, and all he had succeeded to do was to have a nightmare.

Damn Voldemort and Alecto and all those crazy fuckers!

He tossed and turned for the umpteenth time. He reached under his shirt and took out a small pendant Aïon had given him as a gift. He skimmed the cold dark onyx with the tip of his fingers, retracing the outer forms of the small tiger. It was a reminder of his Animagus form.

Vampires had no Animagus form for they were not wizards. They were more ancient beings, they had been gifted by Magic herself. Thus, they could transform in any animal they wanted to. However, some animals were more used than others. Bats, panthers, cats, serpents, owls were the most common transformations. But, like the wizards, they couldn't transform into any magical creatures like unicorns, dragons, basilisks…

The first time Aïon had seen him in his Animagus form, he had laughed. Harry would remember his laugh forever. The deep, low rumble coming from his lover's body had seemed so warm and pleasant that he would have blushed if he hadn't been a tiger at that time. The vampire had told him that he liked his Animagus form. Harry had playfully tackled him, pushing him on the ground with his large paws.

He smiled at the memory and kissed the pendant. _Aïon…_

Eventually, he fell asleep, his fingers still clutched around the small tiger and his smile still hung on his face.

_Dē__st __þū wīllan tō hwæthwegu, mīn bearn? [Do you wish for something, my child?]_

…_**This voice….again…**_

_Dē__st þū wīllan tō hwæthwegu, mīn bearn? [Do you wish for something, my child?]_

_**...why- Why won't you tell me…Who are you? What do you want?**_

_Mīn bearn….þū bist Dryhten… [My child…you will be a prince …]_

_**...I don't know. What do you want? Tell me so I can understand! I don't understand… **_

_Mīn bearn….þū bist Dryhte__n… [My child…you will be a prince …]_

…_**Won't you tell me? Where Aïon is? You know where he is, don't you? **_

_Mīn bearn__…__tō hwon__dēst þū wīllan hine ? [My child…why do you want him?]_

_**Tell me !**_

_Tō hwon __dēst þū wīllan hine nú ēower géosceaft wile __folgian __þē ? [Why do you want him when your fate will catch you?] _

_**Please…please…tell me…I know you are important. I know it, deep inside. Just tell me. **_

_Mīn bearn… __forgiet hine…[My child…forget him…] _

_**::Eliel…::**_

_**Aïon?**_

_Mīn bearn… forgiet __hine ! [My child…forget him !] _

_**:**__**::Eliel…Eliel…:::**_

_**Aïon ! **_

_Mīn bearn… forgiet __hine ! [My child…forget him !] _

_**:::Eliel…sweet, sweet Eliel… My little angel…:::**_

_**Aïon, where are you? **_

_**:**__**::….:::**_

_Mīn bearn…gehlyst __mē… __[My child…listen to me…]_

_**AÏON ! **_

Harry woke up, panting heavily, his hair dripping with sweat and stuck to his forehead.

Again…this voice. It was now the second time. Who was it? It was a feminine voice. So warm, so… Aïon ! That's right! He had heard Aïon !

He woke up and swiftly went in the bathroom without making any noise. He put his head under the tap and washed his face. He looked up in the mirror and suppressed a snort. He did not look good. He had hollow eyes and dark bags under the eyes. He looked drawn.

But this voice…he couldn't be wrong. It was Aïon. It was a sign. Aïon was really here, at this time. He was in Britain. And Harry had to search for him.

As he got back in the room, he was surprised to see an owl on his bed, waiting for him. He blinked. The owl seemed to smirk and the bird slowly disappeared in a blur of forms and smoke to let a tall man appear.

"Vlad!" Harry whispered, clearly astonished.

The older man stifled a laugh. He put on a stern face.

"Who are you, human?"

"Huh? Vlad?" Harry tentatively reached out a hand.

Vlad slapped his hand away. He let his fangs out and took a step forward. He could feel Harry's body warmth from where he was.

"Who are you to call me like that, human?"

Harry squinted at him.

"Oh!" the young boy hit his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"I forgot…there's no way the you from now would know me…" he muttered.

"Explain yourself, human"

"Ah um, you see…Lord Vladimir Lirim, I beg you to forgive my impudence. I did not mean to disrespect you" Harry bowed slowly.

He bit his lower lip, anxious to see what the vampire would do. He was surprised when he heard him laugh.

"I really got you there!" Vladimir exclaimed.

"…Vlad?" Harry asked timidly.

"Yes, who do you think I am?"

"But- but how…"

"I saw your letter, you brat! So I defied time, just to retrieve you, you…you crazy boy!"

"So you're the Vlad I know? Not the one from 1964?"

"Right. Now, tell me why you even did this? Do you know how dangerous it is to defy the Fates?"

"I know. But I couldn't stay there and just mourn. I had to find him and kill those who made him suffer"

"Did you find him yet?"

"Not yet. But when I find him, I'll explain everything to him and I'll make sure he remembers me"

"I see" the vampire sighed and closed briefly his eyes "I have not see him since I arrived here. If I remember well, at that time he should be in Germany. I think the _I_ from well...now ... sent him there to solve a rebellion against my cousin"

"Oh. Do you remember when he should come back?"

"Not until next year, I'm afraid"

"Can't you send someone else?"

"You can defy the Fates but the consequences will be dreadful. Let's not try to change more events than needed. "

"But if I could see him before next year, we could all return to our time earlier"

"Things are not so simple, child. I do not know what spell you used to turn back in time, but during the ritual I did, the Fates have clearly warned me. We will not go back unharmed. The Fates do not tolerate rebellion, nor from you, child, neither from me. Humans or vampires…we will all suffer"

Harry stared at the vampire, suddenly feeling lost. It was as if a weight had been thrown on his heart, crushing it. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't speak. He parted his lips, but no sound came. His breath came out in harsh, quick pants. His lower lip trembled.

"What- What do you mean? Is there no ways to let Aïon-"

"That's not what I mean, Harry. If we go back, Aïon will surely be alive but we will lose something. The Fates do not grant your wish for nought. You have to give something in return. You have to be ready to sacrifice something."

"I hear a voice" Harry blurted out. He did not know why, but he knew the woman speaking to him was related to this matter.

"A voice? What does it say?"

"I don't know. I don't understand what the woman says. She speaks in a language I don't understand"

"A woman?"

Vladimir gave the brunette a hard, long stare. His sea-green eyes seemed to burn a hole through the wizard's body. Harry felt uncomfortable under those hawkish eyes. He fidgeted.

"Harry…the Fates are warning you. You have to understand them if you want to escape their punishment"

_

* * *

_

_A little butterfly is inching closer to a flower. _

_But the flower is poisonous. _

_Will Little Butterfly burn himself? _


	4. The Butterfly spreads his wings

**Book** : Harry Potter

**Chapter : **4

**Words**: 13 273

**Rating** : M

**Characters / Main Pairing** : Harry Potter / O.C. (Aïon Ambrozij)

**Disclaimer** : I certainly do not own Harry Potter. I only own the characters who came from my imagination, namely Aïon, Vlad, and all the other crazy vampires.

**N/A : **A very, very long chapter. It's been a long time since I last updated, too. I put a lot of information here, but I hope you will all enjoy reading this chapter.

* * *

**OoO**

**Chapter 4**

**Thrill of the Fight - The Butterfly spreads his wings**

**OoO

* * *

**

_FROM THE CHRYSALIS._

_My cocoon tightens, colors tease,  
I'm feeling for the air;  
A dim capacity for wings  
Degrades the dress I wear._

_A power of butterfly must be  
The aptitude to fly,  
Meadows of majesty concedes  
And easy sweeps of sky._

_So I must baffle at the hint  
And cipher at the sign,  
And make much blunder, if at last  
I take the clew divine._

in _Time And Eternity_, by Emily DICKINSON

* * *

**9, November 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall. **

"Good morning Harry" Elena said as she sat.

"Good morning Elena"

Harry turned his head towards her and gave her a slight smile. The girl answered with a smile of her own, her pale grey eyes briefly brightening as the corners of her mouth curved upwards.

"Did you sleep well this time?"

Harry gulped a mouthful of scrambled eggs. He poured himself pumpkin juice and sighed. Elena's inquisitive look made him smirk.

"I did"

"Something good happened? Did you have a nice dream?"

"Why?"

"I don't know. You're especially…kind, today" Elena shrugged, tucking a few strands of dark brown hair behind her ears.

"Yeah. I had a very nice dream. Moreover, it seemed so real that I thought I wasn't really dreaming" Harry smirked.

Elena stared at him and eventually chuckled even though Harry was sure she could not have understood what he really was talking about. Her light yet clear laugh hung in the air like Christmas bells. Harry decided he liked it. She was a warm person.

"What are you two laughing about?"

The two wizards turned around to face Alastor. The boy was looking at them curiously. His beige eyes were focused on both of them, glancing at them alternatively.

"Good morning Alastor Peterson" Harry said, in a low voice, not bothering to answer his question.

"Good morning Alastor!" the girl chirped, a smile still grazing her features.

"Good morning. So what were you talking about?"

"Dreams" came the simple answer. Yet to the oblivious boy, Elena's answer was enigmatic.

"Dreams? Did you have bad dreams?"

"Not exact-"

"ALASTOR!"

A mass of black hair threw itself on Alastor who could do nothing but open his arms to receive the bundle. Elena laughed at the scene.

"How could you leave me alone in the dorm?" Alastor's twin whined, lifting his head to gaze up at his brother, his brown eyes shining with fake tears.

"I tried to wake you up at least five times" Alastor replied.

"But-"

"Here, you must be hungry"

Alastor shoved a piece of bread in Alexis' mouth who immediately ceased to grumble. Instead, he grinned and slid off of his twin's lap to sit sluggishly nearby.

"Where's Theo?" he asked while munching on his piece of bread and heaping his plate with bacon and eggs.

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Alastor quickly reprimanded him.

Alexis stuck his tongue out and scrunched his nose. His twin made a disapproving noise with his throat, while shaking his head. Harry suppressed a laugh. It was good to see two people bicker like that. It reminded him of…of people he shouldn't think about.

A shadow darkened his expression. While the twins kept on squabble, Elena set her grey eyes on the new student. She bit her lower lip. What should she do? He seemed so … tortured. She wanted to help him. But she wasn't sure he would accept. He seemed to be very lonesome.

She tried to reach out as if to put her hand on his shoulder. Harry noticed her movement and stiffened. His reaction did not go unnoticed by the girl. She slowly retracted her hand, until she had curled her fingers into a tight fist.

"Well, I'll see you in class" Harry stood up abruptly and left.

His jaw was clenched, making the nerves and the muscles of his neck bulge out. Elena sighed. However, two pairs of eyes had observed with great interest the whole scene.

"Still hard to approach, I see" Regulus joked, a smirk making its way on his patrician features.

"Yes. But these people have made some progress. Especially the Prefect" Lucius replied, his eyes still riveted to the place where Harry had stood just a while ago.

"Yes. How are we going to do? Just keep an eye on him during classes and follow him everywhere?"

"No. We're going to talk to him everyday"

"I hope we are not going to have to act as his friends" Regulus slowly uttered, not bothering to hide his repulsion.

"Not his friends. Just…people he'll be accustomed to see in his everyday life" Lucius replied, smirking.

Regulus stared at his friend and snorted, clearly amused.

"I see. Become everyday's background, huh?"

He received no answer, only a light chuckle.

* * *

_Little Butterfly is t__reading on dangerous waters. Predators always know how to hide.

* * *

_

**9, November 1964. The Lair. **

Vladimir sat on his throne, in the vast room ablaze with the numerous torches that hung on the wall. His pale face was lit by the fiery red and orange flames that danced every now and then. He was still a bit hazy about his meeting with Harry.

_"I hear a voice"__ Harry's melodious voice chimed._

Yes…They were all going to be punished for defying the Fates. Definitely. And Harry would be the first to suffer.

"My Lord, your guests are here" announced the doorkeeper.

"Let them in"

He had summoned the 9 highest vampires of his clan : the Council. He had to make sure that Alecto and Arioch would stay away from Harry. He also had to ensure Harry's safety considering the time they were in. He knew of Harry's past…no, future…whatever it was, with Voldemort. He didn't want to make Harry die by the hands of a young Voldemort. They didn't come to this time to retrieve Aïon and leave without Harry.

"Thank you all for coming here"

"Well, everyone's not here…Your dear Mágoa and Aïon seem to have left your side." drawled sarcastically Alecto, her black eyes shining with contempt.

"Yes, thank you for this particularly interesting piece of information, Alecto. Now let the higher-ups talk. Vapula, what are your conclusions on the state of the Smerenie clan?" Vladimir replied, quickly dismissing Alecto's words as if she was nothing but a bug.

Alecto bared her fangs and her dark black eyes threw daggers as she was currently seething with rage, but a warning look from her brother prevented her from getting up and making a ruckus. Vapula Besnik's brown eyes pinned Alecto to her chair. Vapula was the 4th most powerful vampire, thus the 3rd member of the Council. She was deeply intelligent, and liked to immerse herself in books. She was well versed in sciences, philosophy and could almost make anything with her hands. Other vampires used to say about her that she resembled a human, focusing all of her attention on "petty" things such as these, but her knowledge of human and most of all, wizards, had helped the clan more than once.

Even if vampires were a more ancient race than human and wizards, she believed that knowledge was the key of success. She found interest in many things that were discarded by other vampires. She had received Vladimir's support and she respected him dearly for his prudence and wisdom. But the thing she loved most was definitely her private library.

"I arrived there in September and I spent one month and a half with the clan. Their leader, Anmael Luca had put her seven high-trusted Generals on the Dragon cases. As you had foreseen it, my Lord, the dragons they had tried to tame ten years ago had not forgotten about this incident and have been the cause of the numerous deaths that have occurred lately. The children of the Smerenie clan have been sheltered in the Bavarian mountains. Anarell Luca, the sister of Anmael Luca, has accepted to protect them until the problem was solved"

"The Demut clan?"

"Yes, my Lord"

"I thought the Demut clan had a problem of their own…Unless you solved it, Aislinn?"

"Yes, my Lord. The epidemic of fever that was spreading in the Demut clan was in fact due to the presence of rotten dead corpses nearby. There were huge mass graves and I believe it was the result of dark wizards' experiments or tortures. The wounds were clearly not inflicted by vampires nor any other magical creature. We gave the Demut clan samples of our blood everyday to help their magic fight the viruses. We also had to burn some areas in the forest to make sure that the air would be purified"

Aislinn Sofron, the 7th member of the Council and 8th most powerful in the Clan, bowed her head as she finished talking, waiting for her Lord's approval. Her lowered eyelids covered her dark grey eyes, and the weight of her long white hair tied in a braid over her right shoulder was making her hair tilt a bit to the right.

"Well done Aislinn. So, Vapula, how is Anmael Luca coping with the Dragons?"

"She has sent her Generals after the adult Dragons. With my people, I helped the others to capture the young Dragons. The Generals came back with three Dragons that were put to sleep, but the other Dragons had to be killed. As for the young ones, Anmael Luca still hasn't decided whether to keep them or to release them. There is a risk that they would remember this incident, no matter how young they are, and that they would wreak havoc in a few years"

"I see. Releasing them would be the best solution for now. If they keep them, what are they going to do with them? They have no use in keeping Dragons. If the Dragons cause trouble again, we'll send them help"

"Understood. I'll send them a message afterwards"

"Alecto. The Sevastian clan requested our help concerning a rebellion within the lowest Pureblood families. I want you to go there with people you will choose and solve this problem"

"The Sevastian clan? Are you mad? It's in Russia! I'm not going there!" Alecto hysterically exclaimed, brusquely standing up, her dark pupils burning with contempt and disgust.

"You will go. It's an order. And don't even try to wreak havoc in Russia. You will stay there until this rebellion is put down, and then you will go to Poland for six months. The newly formed Siła clan and his ruler, Alojzy Ryszard, want to establish an alliance with us. You will sign the treaty and live with them for six months to help our diplomatic relationships. "

Vladimir didn't bother to wait for his sister's reply. He didn't have time. He had to send Alecto far, very far away from Harry. And after thoroughly thinking…he had to send Arioch with her too.

"Arioch, you will go with Alecto."

"Yes, my Lord" came the neutral reply.

No sarcasm, no contempt, no mellifluous note, but the lack of respect in those three words was palpable. Arioch was strong. He was the 9th most powerful warrior in this clan, the 8th member of this Council…but he had no loyalty towards his leader. He acted only according to his own interests and benefits. Vladimir knew that already too well. He had experienced it. He would not do the same mistake again.

Even though no vampire had really liked Harry, Arioch and Alecto had been the ones to pursue the young wizard, to make his life a mess. They were the only ones who were a real threat to Harry. Sending them abroad would make the task easier.

"This reunion is over. Aislinn, Vapula, you will hand me written reports tomorrow"

"Yes, my Lord" the two women replied in unison.

The members of the Council left one by one. Vladimir watched them walk away.

He turned around and elegantly raised an eyebrow upon seeing his sister.

"What, you haven't left yet?" he asked, trying not to sound too mocking.

"I won't go there" she spat venomously, shaking her head.

"Too bad I'm the leader here. You will go. If you don't do it on your own, I'll make you go there by force. By hook or by crook, you choose"

"I . won't . go . there " she replied challengingly, even daring to snort loudly and turn her head away.

"You will go"

And without any warning, he raised his right index and slowly began to bend it until it formed a tight fist with the other fingers. His gaze was unwavering and fiery, yet very cold. He did not mind making his sister suffer. To vampires, blood ties did not matter. What was important was strength and power. He had not been chosen as the Leader for nothing. He was the strongest out here. And that meant he was the one who had mastered the Blood control technique the most perfectly.

He saw her sister stiffen. At some places, her veins could be seen through her pale skin. He extended all of his fingers, the tips of the fingers pointing at the ceiling and the palm of his right hand facing the figure of the woman. He slowly retracted them, relishing the feeling of his muscles contracting tightly.

Alecto was stifling her grimaces, but she couldn't hold it in any longer, Vladimir knew it. And soon enough, she let herself fall on the ground with a grunt. She was obviously in pain. Vladimir's eyes focused on her arms and he twirled his fingers clockwise. Alecto's arms suddenly twisted until it formed an awkward angle with her shoulders.

He twirled his fingers counterclockwise. The sudden shock from having her muscles so abruptly untwisted made Alecto moan loudly, her face scrunched up with pain. He abruptly stopped and his sister grunted lowly, the sudden gain of control over her blood making her feel as if her limbs were on fire.

"Do we understand each other? Go and take care of this problem" Vladimir growled lowly, the tip of his fangs showing ever slightly under his curled lips.

Alecto eyed warily the hands of his brother and nodded slowly.

"Good"

He turned around, not wanting to look at her face any longer. But, upon seeing that she had no intention to leave, he spun harshly and snarled, exposing his glistening fangs.

"Leave. Now"

She scoffed and shot him a murderous look that didn't affect him. He was rather used to it. He watched her retreating back and let out a deep, tired sigh.

"Harry…" he breathed out.

The murmured name hung slightly in the air before dissipating in the cold, lonesome room.

* * *

_Little Butterfly has close friends, but enemies are even closer, always there, lurking in the shadows and ready to strike…

* * *

_

**9, November 1964. Hogwarts.**** Defense Against the Dark Arts' class (DADA). **

"Today, we will learn about the Patronus charm" said Adam Sollers, "who can explain what the Patronus can be used for?"

He faced the class and smiled softly as he saw several hands raised. It was good to see his students so eager to learn. He spotted Lily Evans and sighed. The girl was too intelligent for her own good. She was the only one to have chosen both Potion and Muggle studies classes and thus had to alternately follow Potion and Muggle studies.

Monday, Potion. Wednesday Muggle studies. Friday, Potion. And vice-versa.

When she wasn't in Muggle studies class, she asked someone to lend her their notes. When she wasn't in Sollers' class, she did the same. And in the end, she wasn't slowing down the class at all. Whenever Sollers saw her in his class, she had fully understood what they had talked about last time even if she hadn't been there. She was a genius.

"Lily…" he sighed.

"The Patronus charm is cast with the spell '_Expecto Patronum_'. Depending on the person, the form of the Patronus will change. The Fondators used it to repel any evil thing, but the most common use nowadays is against Dementors" the girl replied swiftly, her green eyes shining with excitement and eagerness.

"Very good, Lily" His gaze roamed over the class, as if to tell the other students they needed to be more like her.

"However" he added with a slight mischievous lilt in his voice "there is another way to use the Patronus. Does anyone know what that could be?"

Lily frowned and her nose scrunched in a cute way as she tried to think of what she could have forgotten. Whatever the professor was talking about, she was sure she hadn't read anything about it. Was it Dark then? No way…the Patronus was a light spell. But why hadn't she found any information on it in the books?

"Ms Evans?" Lily shook her head, disappointed.

"Mr Potter?" James snorted and smirked lightly at his professor who only stared disapprovingly though the Gryffindor's antics were certainly living things up.

"Mr Lupin?"

"I don't know, Professor"

"Ms Laney?"

"Sorry, Professor"

He turned to the Slytherins. The green and silver were certainly not looking at him with warm eyes but that was to be expected. Sometimes he even wondered why they had taken his classes. Perhaps because they wanted to know their enemy…He had not doubts some of his students were already deep in the Dark Arts but there was no way to verify his suspicions.

"Mr Deryl?"

The shy boy shook his head, not even looking up.

"Ms Nott?"

The young girl stared at him challengingly, daring him to say anything about her ignorance about this very matter. Agatha Nott was a prideful one, but he already knew that.

His gaze went to the back of the classroom and he spotted black hair. He smiled. Time to know if the new student was knowledgeable. His first day in DADA hadn't be a memorable one but he hadn't expected the new student to be an astoundingly mage or something of the kind.

"Mr Evans?"

"The Patronus" Harry began and then he paused. He bit his lower lip. His first reaction had been to answer. But he should have stayed quiet. Knowing the answer would only bring attention to him. He didn't want that. But yet again, his rash and impulsive nature had won. Spending time with the vampires seemingly didn't manage to change that.

"Go on" Sollers gently urged him, thinking the boy was shy. Harry inwardly smiled. The professor clearly misunderstood him.

"The Patronus can also be used in its corporeal form. Thus the wizard can send letters or more often, packages that can't be sent with a normal owl. Besides, using the Patronus to send something, one can be sure that the letter or the package will certainly not be lost for if someone were to attack the Patronus, the Patronus can defend itself. It is because the Patronus is made of magic itself unlike normal owls we use every day. So if you are in a time of war, sending messages with your Patronus is safer. However, calling your Patronus in its corporeal form takes a lot of energy and only few wizards are able to do it" He ended with a little sigh, knowing he had already revealed to much.

All the other students turned around to look at him in awe and he made his point by not looking back at them. Instead, he stared at the wall behind Sollers that seemed so…interesting. Sollers blinked once, then twice, then he smiled.

"Very good. As you said, Patronus can also be used in their corporeal forms as messengers"

Lily pouted but her frown didn't seem to faze the new student who hadn't even looked at her. She sighed, a bit sad that someone knew the answer when she didn't. She would have to talk to him and know where he had found this piece of information.

"So today, we will practice our Patronus spell. Ready, begin!"

All of a sudden, different _"Expecto patronum"_ echoed all around the room. Some people were staring dumbly at their Patronus, others were holding tightly their wand and vigorously shaking it, desperately trying to get something other than thin, hazy and fading silver clouds.

Harry looked his want with dull eyes and instinctively caressed the wood with his fingers, rubbing his knuckles along the wand. The feeling of the familiarly warm wood sent tingles in his spine, and made his magic want to come out. But he couldn't. Not here.

Adam Sollers strolled in the classroom, looking at everyone's Patronus, and occasionally rectifying one's hold over their wand. He faced Harry and smiled.

"Why don't you show me your Patronus Mr Evans?" he asked gently

"I'm sorry Professor but I already practiced it. However it seems it took its toll on my strength" he put on a small smile that, he knew, seemed very sincere and apologetic.

"I see. Too bad. Show me next time!" Sollers replied and he turned around to walk back to his desk.

Harry sighed heavily as he slumped into a chair a little more.

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a fond smile as he remembered the feeling of Aïon's hair. He liked to hold the silver strands in his hand. A habit he had taken ever since their first encounter. He remembered this habit made Aïon chuckle.

_"You're like an infant holding his mother's hair" Aïon smiled, looking at his lover._

_"Would you prefer to be my mother?" Harry joked. _

_"I'd be happy to have a child like you"_

_"I don't want to be your child. You just stay my lover" Harry replied firmly._

_"I didn't plan__ to do otherwise" Aïon simply said. _

_Harry smiled and stroked the thin strands of silver hair he held between his thumb and his forefinger. He put his head on Aïon's shoulder and closed his eyes. He vaguely felt the vampire run his fingers through his hair. He sighed softly. Aïon's fingers made him relax and he soon fell asleep. _

Harry chuckled at the memory. He reached down his waist to hold his own hair and examined it. He had begun to grow it long when Aïon had convinced him he would look good with long hair. He had never cut it since that time. He planned to make it grow till it reached his thighs, just like Aïon.

In the front row, Agatha stood, her head slightly turned to the back of the classroom, not missing one bit of the scene. She had noticed how the boy's magic had lashed out for a brief moment when he had touched his wand.

The boy -_**the prey**_- was special.

* * *

_Little Butterfly has become a prey and predators always have a keen eye.

* * *

_

**9, November 1964. Hogwarts. ****Great Hall. Lunch.**

"Hey Harry !"

"Hello, Alastor, Alexis" Harry replied, his voice as neutral as ever.

He seemed neither annoyed nor particularly joyful. His face was as blank as a blank paper. His eyes betrayed nothing and his posture was that of a Pureblood.

"How were your classes this morning?" Alexis chirped cheerfully.

"Fine"

"DADA wasn't it?" Alastor asked for specific details.

"Yes"

"Cool. I've always wanted to attend this class but they always put it early in the morning…" Alexis whined.

"What did you learn today?" Alastor cut off his twin brother's whining by pushing a mouthful of green peas in his mouth.

Alexis munched happily on the food. Alastor gave him a small smirk, and gently patted his head. Food was perfect to lure Alexis into doing whatever you wanted.

"Patronus" Harry replied with a raspy voice.

He cleared his throat and gulped down some water before resuming his eating.

"Wow, and did you get to see your Patronus? Some students were saying they didn't manage to do it and they only saw silver puffs of smoke" Alastor asked

"I couldn't do it. Only tiny clouds" Harry lied easily, the words rolling on his tongue as if it were sweet truth.

"Oh. Too bad. Well, my dad once told me it didn't matter because with some training you'll be able to it perfectly"

"Yeah I hope so" the brunette replied, a tight smile making its way on his face.

"Oh Harry!" Alexis abruptly intervened "Are you going out this afternoon?"

"We can go outside today?" Harry asked, slightly puzzled. Whenever they wanted to go outside, they had to ask special permission or it had to be a very special day. Was it different in this era?

"Well yeah…" Alexis replied, amused by Harry's question "you know, you can do whatever you want when you have free time. It's just that lately, you should be more cautious when going out because of _You-know-You_" his voice sinking to a conspiratorial whisper at the end of the sentence.

_So Voldemort was al__ready referred to as You Know Who…._ Harry thought.

"Oh the dark wizard?" Harry asked, trying to sound as oblivious and innocent as possible. He was supposed to be amnesic after all…

"Yeah. But back to what I was saying…" Alexis grinned widely "how about you hang out with us this afternoon? Alastor and I were planning to go to Diagon Alley and buy some stuff. You know, new quills, books and things like that"

"I was thinking about-"

"Let's all go together then!" Elena cut in, all smiles.

She had the intuition Harry would try to refuse. She had no intention to let him play the loner part. She longed to become friends with him, and she knew that certainly wouldn't happen if she let him lock himself in his room.

"Okay ! That's settled!" Alexis exclaimed and he took off with a big grin.

Alastor chuckled at his twin's excitement and turned towards Harry.

"Then, let's meet at 2.00pm in front of the school's gates"

"Okay" Harry blankly replied.

He had intended to use this free time to contact Vlad. Now, thanks to the girl, his precious time was going to be wasted…

Two pairs of eyes followed the scene with great attention.

Lucius tensed as he felt the boy's magic stir. It was faint but he could feel it. Now that he knew what the boy's magic was like and what the boy himself _was_, he knew where to search for the magic. He hadn't been able to feel it the first day. In fact, he just had to push a little farther. The boy's magic was hidden deep in the boy's core. It was almost imperceptible. But it was there. Excruciatingly beautiful, raw and unrivaled. The boy, he thought, had taken a potion. His creature side was totally suppressed at the moment and Lucius vaguely wondered what potion Evans used.

Even so, he knew the boy was irked. His veela sensed could easily catch on other people's emotions. And he knew this anger was directed at someone, though he knew not who. He didn't know why either.

"Do you think he's going to Diagon Alley this afternoon?" Regulus asked quietly.

Lucius shrugged and his shoulder movement was almost unseen. Regulus only caught it because he had had lots of year to practice reading his friend's reactions. Almost all Purebloods were taught not to display too much emotions and reactions, after all.

"If he's here, what do we do?"

"What we usually do"

"Attack and see" Regulus finished the sentence, a small smirk gracing his handsome features.

"If he proves to be weak, we'll dispose of him. If he can fight back quite well, we'll keep him until _He _tells us what to do exactly"

"Okay. I hope there's going to be a lot of Hufflepuffs this afternoon…they're the best when it comes to practicing spells on moving targets" Regulus darkly joked, and Lucius could see a glint of insanity flashing through his friend's dark orbs.

However, the blonde refrained from making any comments. He wasn't particularly fond of killing, but yes, if their opponents were weak, they were to be killed. It was simple.

It was Nature's law. The weak loses, the strong wins. And if the strong struggles, a strongest one comes in and kills him.

* * *

_Little Butterfly is but a little, frail existence in this vast world where things happen even when Little Butterfly balks at them.

* * *

_

**9, November 1964. ****Diagon Alley. A dark side-alley. **

"Time to go" a velvet voice said, power clearly showing through the tone

"Yes, my Lord"

Hooded and masked figures bowed low before standing up. Clad in black, their identities were completely concealed. However, some were easily recognizable for whoever knew them. For example, blonde platinum hair were the Malfoy's trademark. But it was no mystery for anyone that the Malfoys were a very ancient family of dark wizards. Thus there was no need for them to conceal such a distinctive feature.

The wizards stepped out of the dark alley in which no one ventured, except ill-intentioned ones such as the Death Eaters who were going to wreck havoc on this fine Saturday afternoon. Staying behind a few minutes, the dark Lord, bare-faced, smirked before a small, dry chuckle escaped his lips.

"Time to play, old fool"

As he had asked, his Death Eaters soon took over different places depending on their ranks. He briefly checked that no one was straying from the original plan and he stood in the middle of the alley, confident and powerful.

The people in the Alley had already begun to run frantically, their high-pitched screams resembling sweet sounds and irking him at the same time. He watched them scurry from one side to the other, and did nothing to hide his contempt and disgust.

"Pitiful, disgusting, filthy low-class wizards" he hissed to no one in particular.

His eyes flashed red as he heard the Aurors apparate. They had been quicker than what he had expected. But it did not matter. His followers had already had enough time to kill and torture.

He vaguely saw some Hogwarts students trying to hide. From afar, he could see they were Hufflepuffs. He snorted delicately. Good riddance, he thought as he watched some of the younger recruits kill them mercilessly.

Suddenly, a red light came out of nowhere and the two young Death Eaters who had just killed the Hufflepuffs were shoved on the ground. Voldemort smirked ominously, his red pupils and dark grin looking even more evil than before.

A petite boy with light brown hair came in his line of sight. His wand was drawn out.

"So little kitty is trying to fight back…"he murmured, his eyes alit with interest.

Students hardly fought back. Normally, people would try to fly while waiting for the Aurors to help them. It was pathetic to watch.  
If the boy was fighting back, perhaps today would be more interesting. He watched intently to assess the boy's potential. However, what he felt made him frown. He could not feel anything coming from this boy. A squib? Impossible.. He had just cast an_ '_Expelliarmus'…

Harry had reacted before he could think. As soon as he saw the young Hufflepuffs being killed by the Death Eaters he drew his wand out and threw an 'Expelliarmus' at the two hooded figures. He didn't even think he should have stayed put and waited for the Aurors like everyone else.

Now that he had acted, he could not withdraw. He would have to fight back. He could not let those people die. Even if they were not his friends, even if he did not know them… he could not let them die, because he had already seen too many people die.

Call it hero complex if you want.

"Well, well…what do we have here? A Ravenclaw?" a third Death Eater stepped in, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I though Ravenclaws did nothing but study? Think you can fight against me?" he continued, his eyes shining through the holes in the mask. He was eyeing Harry with unhidden mockery.

Harry pursed his lips and did not reply. He was going to fight back but he couldn't let too much of his power show through. He did not need any attention, he reminded himself. He had to stay as _normal_ as possible. Put on a brave face that verges on stupid bravery, wait until the Aurors came this way and run away.

He gripped his wand tightly though he did not even need it. But it was all for the show, he reminded himself. No error would be allowed. His mission was at stake. If he drew too much attention on himself, his plans would be disturbed and he would have difficulties to talk with Vlad and search for Aïon without anyone noticing.

"Crucio" the Death eater drawled.

Harry inwardly smirked. No Avada Kedavra, no painful, swift death? So the Death Eater wanted to play, huh? _Wrong move_, he thought.

"Protego"

"Sectusempra"

"Crucio!" the Death eater exclaimed a little louder than the first time.

The shield moved a bit but did not shatter. Harry smirked. His opponent saw it and snarled. His eyes were a deep dark and it reminded Harry of Sirius' eyes.

"Think you can win this one, little boy?"

The malice-laced interjection reminded him of Bellatrix's contemptuous "poor boy", and suddenly, Harry knew why he was reminded of Sirius. This man was probably a Black.

"Stupefix" Harry muttered.

"Sectusempra"

The two spells collided, but Harry's was stronger and it hit the Death Eater though its force had been weakened by the "Sectusempra" spell. The Black grunted in pain and fell backwards on the ground with a loud 'thud'.

Voldemort watched the scene with keen interest, his eyes glinting with malign amusement. The boy was quite capable. Stupefix was a weak spell compared to Sectusempra, but when used by someone powerful, it could attain the power of some higher spells. The Stupefix this boy had cast been powerful. Powerful enough to overpower the Sectusempra of a fourty-five year old man who was a powerful Death Eater and a member of the ancient Black family.

He took a step forward, his eyes never leaving the lithe form of the petite wizard.

Harry was caught in the middle of a battlefield, and spells fused from everywhere. He sighed. From the corner of his eye, he saw a stray spell that was coming his way. Green…didn't bode well.

"Optime protego" he muttered.

A light blue, spherical shield enveloped him and protected him of any attack that could have been aimed at him. He turned around and quickly assessed the situation. People were being slaughtered, some were being tortured, others were already laying dead on the ground…He spotted a group of young children huddled in the corner of a tiny, dark alley. He had to help them. He began to move and suddenly stopped.

That's when he felt _**him**_.

He slowly turned his head to his left and then he saw _**him**_.

Standing in all his glory, the dark Lord was there, clad in black robes, his red eyes focused on _him_ and his handsome young face distorted by a sick smirk.

"Quite an impressive spell you've got there, young boy" Voldemort said slowly.

Now that he was closer, he could clearly see the boy's face. It was more mature than one would have expected for a student. The boy was petite but he was well-proportioned. Not the cold beauty like Lucius Malfoy, nor the patrician, dark beauty like Regulus Black. But he had a certain charm that couldn't be denied.

Even when he was a few feet away from the mysterious boy, Voldemort still couldn't feel one ounce of magic flowing through his veins. How did the boy manage to hide so well his magic?

He eyed with amusement the student who frowned and bit his lower lip. He chuckled darkly. _So he doesn't want to speak?...Fine by me_, he thought.

Without any glance for his Death Eater who was still struggling against the Stupefix, he grinned and inched closer to the Ravenclaw. Harry took a step back, though it was not out of fear. Attacking head on was not an option if you wanted to survive against a Dark Lord. On the other hand, never show your back to him either.

But what bothered him the most at the moment, was that Voldemort, the _Dark Lord_, was eyeing him - _Harry_ - with evident interest.

"Patronus"

A corporeal stag came out from his wand and bowed his head as Harry absently stroked his head. All the while, Harry's eyes never strayed away from the Dark Lord's face.

"Optime protego" A second blue shield erupted from the tip of his wand and, this time, enveloped the Patronus.

"Take those three away" Harry said, while pointing at the children he had seen earlier.

The stag shook its head and scurried over to the three children. There were two boys and one girl. All of them were about eleven year old. When they saw the stag halt in front of them and slightly bow its neck, they stroked its head, their mouths gaping in awe and climbed on its back without much hesitation: their magic simply _knew_ the stag was there to help them. Soon the three children were squeezed one against another, and the stag ran away.

The corporeal Patronus itself was enveloped in the blue shield Harry had cast and any curse that went in their direction was absorbed by the shield. The Patronus continued to run until they reached a safe area. They were outside the Alley. They were in the muggle world. The Patronus vanished and the three children were left alone, facing the wall of bricks.

"You're quite talented" Voldemort pointed out, purposely sounding bored. He wouldn't say it loud, but actually he was impressed by the boy's corporeal Patronus. Such a Patronus required a lot of power and energy.

He would get the boy. He needed more Death Eaters and he needed more _powerful_ ones. Even Abraxas Malfoy and Cygnus Black didn't have a corporeal Patronus.

"Why, thank you" Harry finally replied, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. No one spoke to him like that. Even if the boy was powerful, he could not win against him. Wandlessly, he whispered a single word, his favorite :

"Crucio"

Harry did not cast a Protego. Instead, he side-rolled and quickly got back on his feet. A sudden flashback to his future-previous battle with Voldemort in the graveyard made him snort at the similarity it held with his present situation.

"Athletic too….Quite an asset you would make, boy. What do you think about it?"

"There is no need for me to kiss the hem of your robes, thank you" Harry repressed the urge to let a deep, raspy chuckle escape his throat. But God! How ironic it was to have the _Dark Lord_ trying to recruit him…

"I'll make you change your decision"

"Sectusempra" Voldemort continued, his back ramrod straight, his lips pursed in concentration and his eyes solely focused on the petite wizard.

"Diffindo"

"Ignis"

A ball of fire erupted from Voldemort's wand. Harry smirked. He could feel his heart thump loudly and his veins throb with adrenaline. No matter how much he hated seeing people dying, fighting always pumped him up. He had lived all his life fighting. Not fighting made him incomplete.

"Aguamenta"

Voldemort chuckled. He knew the boy would annihilate the spell, but he had a small surprise for him. The fire was only a diversion. With his other hand he had wandlessly cast another spell. Umbrae…._Let's see how you can deal with this…_

But Harry had seen the dark, ominous, immense shapeless form approach him. He shuddered. The form resembled too much a Dementor for his own liking. Without thinking, he thought : _Patronus_.

His corporeal stag appeared once more and quickly ran towards the dark creature, battling with it before swiftly impaling it on its horns. The stag remained for a few seconds, hovering above the motionless creature before it disappeared.

"Well, well…high-level spells, wandless magic and wordless magic? You're quite the mystery, young boy" Voldemort laughed, though his laugh was nothing like the innocent, clear one of Elena, Harry thought.

Harry didn't reply to this taunting. He knew he had made a mistake. But he had had no time to cast another spell with his wand. His instincts and habits had just kicked in.

"Sectusempra"

"Protego" Voldemort smirked. _So the boy can use dark spells too…_

The Aurors were coming closer. He could hear them. He needed to finish this quickly.

To kill or not to kill? He pondered on the idea a few seconds. The boy seemed really powerful and making him join their cause would be a great thing. But he seemed quite adverse to the idea, and leaving such a person in the hands of the Light could be dangerous for the Dark.

"What is your name, boy?" he asked.

Harry squinted his eyes at the Dark Lord. "I don't think you'd need it"

"Why not? I want to pay you a visit some time…" he replied in a deep voice.

"He's here!" someone shouted. Voldemort rolled his eyes. Aurors were never discreet. Shouting like that… did he want to get killed?

"Avada Kedavra" he casually said, his eyes ready to watch the Auror die with utter disinterest.

However, Harry had acted swiftly and the beautiful corporeal stag stood once more, this time in front of the Auror. The body of the stag absorbed the spell before it vanished.

Voldemort raised an elegant eyebrow.

"Saving lives? Quite noble of you….but nothing can stop us, young boy. If you manage to save one person, we will kill two other people. If you want to save someone, we will kill them in front of you. Beside you'll soon run out of energy if you use so much that Patronus of yours, especially since it's in its corporeal form."

"Then I'll just have to try harder" came the answer.

Voldemort chuckled. This boy should have been a Griffyndor, not a Ravenclaw.

"How Gryffindor…" he whispered with a wicked smile.

"Thank you but I'm a Ravenclaw" Harry replied dryly, contempt showing clearly through his words. In the back of his mind, a little voice dryly attempted to joke, reminding him that he could have ended up in Slytherin, if only damned Malfoy had not been so hateful.

He felt thrilled, having Voldemort's attention on him. Even though the Aurors were here, Voldemort's eyes had remained on him. It was just like before….

It may seem strange, but he had missed having such a fight with Voldemort.

Feeling your blood rush to your head, your mind going blank, your feet and your hands moving on their own accord, spells passing through your lips…it was exciting. It made him feel alive. He couldn't live without it. He had learnt to live like that. _**Dangerously**_.

And now, he was addicted.

Even with Aïon, he would spar once a day. Fighting with a vampire was even more thrilling. Vampires were unpredictable. They were so much more powerful than normal wizards. They were proud and fought till the very last moment. They were cunning and used every trick to win. But that's what made the game fun.

"Stupefix" two Aurors yelled in unison.

With a lazy wave of the hand, Voldemort countered the spells. He eyed the Ravenclaw and smirked. One student, full of potential…Nine Aurors, capable but foolish. How would this drama unfold?

Voldemort liked to play the role of God and observe how the pawns would react.

"How about we play a game, little Ravenclaw? _You_" he pointed the tip of his wand towards Harry, "are alone. But you seem to like saving people…Why don't you try keeping every one of these Aurors alive? If you manage to counter every one of my spell, I shall walk away without harming any of you. Try and fight back until the old fool arrives, little Ravenclaw" Voldemort taunted the younger wizard.

"Go and hide somewhere" one Auror quickly yelled at Harry.

"As if letting you fight Voldemort would be a good thing" Harry chortled, his laugh coming out like a clear crystal rain.

Gone were the thoughts of anonymity. He didn't care anymore about not being noticed. Besides, he had taken the precaution to change his appearance before stepping in the fight. Right now, he was a petite boy with short light brown hair, sky blue eyes and tanned skin. And Voldemort had no name to put on that face. He was safe. No one would ever see the resemblance between this mysterious boy and Harry Evans who had long dark hair and vivid green eyes.

Right now, all he wanted was to have a good fight and feel once again the excitement of dueling.

"Confringo" the Aurors shouted all at once.

Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes. These Aurors never learnt. They were nowhere near Voldemort's level. He wasn't pretentious, but he knew he was the only one out there who could stand his ground against the Dark Lord.

He made a little sound of disapproval in the back of his throat when he noticed Voldemort had sent a Crucio at the oldest Auror. That man too never learnt.

The Voldemort from that time was the young Voldemort. He was far more impulsive than the Voldemort Harry knew from his time. But thinking about it, even the old one had been quite reckless a few times…Even so, this young Voldemort was much more dangerous than the old one. He was still quite sane, his physical abilities were superior to that of his older self, and he was at the peak of his glory.

The stag protected once again the Auror. Harry smirked and calmly strode over to the Aurors. He didn't look at them and turned his back to them, facing Voldemort.

"You should run away" he advised the Aurors

"Who are you kidding here? Do you think a mere boy like you could do better tha-"

A red beam was aiming at Harry. He easily annihilated it with a spell of equal force. The Aurors gaped at him. Wandless, wordless magic…

"Who are you?" the oldest Auror asked in a calm yet firm tone. He had been saved by this boy's _corporeal_ Patronus.

"Don't try recruiting me. I'm not interested" Harry replied jokingly in a light manner before he held out his hand, making a soft blue shield appear.

"Proseco" (_Dissect) _Voldemort said in a murmur, his voice barely heard by the Aurors.

"Dispello" (_Dispel/break)_ Harry muttered, sounding almost bored.

"Torqueo" _(=Crucio)_

"Deflecto" _(Deflect)_

The blue spell hit the nearest wall, blowing a hole in it. Harry glanced at it and smirked.

The Aurors were totally stunned and could not move. They hadn't expected a mere _**student**_ to overpower them like this. And he was doing well against the Dark Lord!

And suddenly, they couldn't even know what was happening. The two wizards had stopped saying out loud their spells and were simply waving their hands. Very few among the Aurors who were presently there could perform wordless magic, nor wandless one. They didn't know what spells were being cast. But they knew that this duel was quite the sight.

Harry gritted his teeth. The sly bastard had just tried to blow his head with a 'Turgesco' (_Expand)_! But then again, the guy was a _Dark Lord_ who wanted nothing but to _kill_ any threat….He couldn't expect anything else from _Voldemort_ but deadly spells. He almost wanted to hit himself like Dobby for thinking Voldemort could have been a bit gentler in his choice of spell.

Voldemort grew more and more curious as each minute passed. The boy was good. Very good. He knew advanced spells. He had cast light ones as well as dark ones. He could cast the 'Diffindo', the 'Patronus', the 'Protego', the 'Deflecto', but he could also use the 'Crucio', the 'Sectusempra', the Teranimus' _(Crush the mind_), the Corexcido' (_Cut the heart_)…

A wide range of spells, indeed. Was he really a student at Hogwarts? He himself didn't have such capabilities when he was 18, if his memory didn't fail him. The boy seemed to have the experience of a 40 year old wizard. Why was he so good at dueling?

He wanted to know how far the boy could go. The old fool still wasn't there. But the Aurors were still alive and well. He would give that to the boy. At least, he had done a good job at saving the lives of those pathetic idiots.

But would he be able to go out of _this_ safe and sound? A dark smile crept on his face.

_Serpensortia_… the word rang in his head, loud and clear like a well-known lullaby.

The eyes of the Aurors bulged out almost comically when they saw a large, big snake erupt from the tip of Voldemort's wand.

A magical snake. An Ice Mamba. Larger than normal mambas, its poison was deadlier too. The ice mamba had green scales with hues of black and green. They could measure up to twelve meters in length. They were swift. Their aim was deadly and precise. And they were dark creatures.

_Going all out, heh?..._ Harry wondered if he should use his ability to speak to snakes or not. If he did, Aurors would know he was a Parseltongue. And in these times of war, he could not afford to be mistaken as a Dark follower….But he had protected them, hadn't he? And he had cast a Glamour over himself…

He saw the snake slither and inch closer to him. He did not step backwards. With a twirl of his wrist, he shot three balls of fire. All of them hit the snake.

The snake was unhurt.

**"Stupid human…thinking something like that can kill me…I'll make you regret it" **the snake hissed.

It suddenly lunged forwards, baring its fangs and the Aurors had no time to react, utterly stunned, and expecting for the snake to kill the student.  
Harry didn't have time to dodge or counter. He just did the first thing that crossed his mind.

**"You will not bite me!" **he snarled angrily.

Voldemort stared at him. The boy was a Parseltongue….Just like him.  
The Aurors were torn between confusion and weariness. Parseltongue was a dark ability. But the boy was fighting against Voldemort. They didn't know if the student was to be considered as an ally or a threat.

**"You're a speaker"** said the snake the attack of which had been abruptly stopped.

**"Obviously. I'd like to know how" **Voldemort intervened.

**"In your dreams…" **Harry provoked him, his own blue eyes staring deeply at Voldemort's crimson ones.

"My, my….what a horrible sight! How come all of you are fighting on such a beautiful day?"

Voldemort turned around. He hadn't felt the man approach. He immediately felt weary. No one took Voldemort by surprise.

The other man was tall and thin, his features were sharp. He was powerful, Voldemort could see it in the way he walked, in the way he made his presence clear... However, he could not feel one ounce of magic coming from that man. The young wizard, however, obviously baffled, muttered:

"Vlad?"

"A friend of yours, little one?" Voldemort asked, subtly trying to know more about the mysterious man who had been able to hide his presence so well.

"I came to see how you were doing…Seems like you were rather busy" Vladimir gaily commented, his voice adopting a fake cheerfulness.

Harry raised an eyebrow, his crinkled eyes twinkling with sheer amusement.

" I was bored and decided to give you some help" Vladimir joked lightly, his eyes never leaving the dark form of Voldemort.

"No need"

"If you say so…Hurry up and finish what you were doing" he said in a casual, almost relaxed manner. He went over to the closest wall and leant on it as if he was watching a match of Quidditch.

"No problem" Harry replied with a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"Think you can get rid of me?" Voldemort taunted the young Ravenclaw.

"But I'm not alone. More Aurors are coming this way…And I believe someone named Albus Dumbledore will soon be here too" Harry challengingly replied back, in an equally mocking tone.

With those words, Harry wandlessly cast a last Optime Protego around the group of Aurors and smiled.

"While you're in that sphere, protect the people in this street and wait until Dumbledore arrives. He may be an old coot but he won't miss the opportunity to fight Voldemort. Please do me that favor, will you?" he asked them in a fake tone of cheerfulness, the threat more than perceptible for the Aurors.

The Aurors reluctantly nodded, still uncertain about the boy's loyalty. He seemed neither light, nor dark. He used all kind of spells. He seemed to dislike Voldemort as well as Dumbledore. He was an enigma.

"Then…let's go. Lair's forest, young one" Vlad said, standing up and brushing his shirt with the back of his hand.

He flashed a warning look towards Voldemort who simply cast a killing curse. The spell gleamed green in the air, aiming straight at the man who suddenly vanished, leaving nothing behind him.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. That was the only thing that showed his amazement and confusion. Harry repressed the urge to laugh. He spun on his heels, deliberately showing his back to the Dark Lord and quickly apparated away, not before throwing those words to the most dangerous wizard of all times :

"Farewell... Tom"

Voldemort squinted his eyes at the disappearing blur of color that was the boy and a few seconds later, his gaze was still focused on the place where the small wizard had stood just a split second ago. He gritted his teeth and felt his wand shake in his fist. He needed to see some blood spill on the ground….

Who was he? Who was this boy? Why was he so powerful for his age? Was he really what he appeared to be? And how - How did he know his name? Only Dumbledore…Only Dumbledore knew Voldemort's true identity. Only Dumbledore, and perhaps Mc Gonagall.

* * *

_Carefully, gingerly, slowly, Little Butterfly spreads his wings that have gone numb from being tucked in for so long. He flies off, and the snake is ready to strike.

* * *

_

**December 23, 1990. The Burrow**

-Hurry up already, Ron! Fred and George simultaneously yelled. They had to go to Diagon Alley but their little brother had yet to come downstairs.

The twins stared at each other and grinned. Lately,"Ronnie" had been too busy kissing his girlfriend to spend time with his own family. The twins felt a little left out. Not that they wanted the two to stop dating, but "Ronnie" had disappointed them when he had decided to break all ties with Harry and now that he had a girlfriend, the twins could not even prank him at every corner of the house to remind him how pitiful Harry was to have all his "friends" turn their back on him.

They silently crept up in the stairs, careful not to make any noise. Then, they shared a meaningful look and drew out their respective wands.

"_Arachneis"_ they whispered in chorus.

A myriad of small spiders erupted from the tip of their wand and began to scurry over to the small gap in front of them. The door of Ron's room had been left half-open and the light that filtered through this limited space undeniably attracted the small animals. Soon after, the two twins heard a loud shriek.

"AAAAAH ! S-s-s-sp-sp-spi-"

"I believe …"

"…those would be spiders" Fred and George said, peeking at their brother from behind the wooden door, their hands gripping the edge of the wood and their head barely visible, half-hidden by the door.

"Get them out! Get them out!" Ronald shrieked hysterically.

"'Mione will do it…"

"…for you, right 'Mione?" the twins mischievously replied.

They quickly scuttled downstairs as soon as they heard her yell something about being extremely angry at "moronic idiots". Once they were out of the Burrow, they let out a loud laugh. They guffawed like this for a few minutes, trying to catch their breath.

"Ha! That was good!" Fred said, his cheeks tinted with pink from all the excitement and running that had just occurred.

"Definitely" George approved.

They exchanged an identical grin and a high-five. However, their little victory was soon interrupted as they heard the familiar and distinctive 'pop' of apparitions.

"Mom-"

"-Dad" they exclaimed.

"Oh, Georges, Fred! I hope you didn't bother your little brother too much" Mrs Weasley immediately said, with arms akimbo.

"No!" Fred defended himself, putting on his best innocent face.

"Not at all!" George added in a convincing tone.

"Good"

"Where have you been going?" they asked

"Oh. While tidying up earlier, I found some books about 'how to become an Auror' and 'how to apply for a job at the Ministry'. Arthur told me it wasn't his books so we just went to the library and resold them"

"But it was for Harry!" George burst out, his voice going up a few octaves.

"Shh!" Fred tried to quieten his brother. He had a look of panic on his face and his eyes darted frantically at his mother, gauging her reaction.

Instead of the contempt and anger they had expected, they were met with an expression of surprise and confusion.

"Harry?" Molly asked, tilting her head to the side "who's that?"

The twins' eyes widened almost comically. Their eyebrows seemed to touch their hairline and their pupils were dilated to the point where the eyes seemed to take half the space on their face.

"Is he your friend?" Molly insisted.

"Er-"

"Yes"

"You ought to introduce him to us!" Molly beamed joyfully "I'll go take back those books after lunch if you want"

"No it's okay-"

"we have money from the shop"

"Okay. Call Ronald and Hermione, and come to eat" the Weasley matriarch said, spinning around on her heels and going over to the sink so as to wash the vegetables she planned to cook for lunch.

Fred and George shared a quizzical look and went upstairs, still shaken by what had just happened. As soon as lunch ended, they went up the stairs and locked themselves in their room.

"Do you think what I think?" Georges asked his twin.

"Yes. It's really-"

"-strange", they said in unison, their faces oddly serious.

They faces scrunched up with confusion, they shared a knowing look and Georges took out an old, rusty book from one of the shelves. He set it on his bed and carefully opened it. Fred sat on the bed and stared at the book with something akin to fascination.

_"Disappearance"_ Georges whispered while tapping the book with the tip of his wand.

Several pages suddenly seemed to rustle and glowed brightly. Georges eagerly went to the first glowing page.

_"Disappearance of a Body : the dangers of Apparition"_ he read.

"That's not it" Fred muttered.

They quickly dismissed the article and went to the following glowing page.

_"Disappearance of a Body : the secrets of Invisibility"_

They rustled through several other pages like this, their movements slowly becoming more and more jerky due to their nervousness.

_"How the Dementor make your mind disappear"_

_"How to make your aura disappear"_

_"Survive among magical creatures : make your scent and aura disappear"_

_"Lost memories. How to make memories disappear"_

_"Why do some vampires disappear without a trace?"_

_"Make someone disappear from others' memories"_

Georges stopped going through the pages and hungrily looked at the article.

_"Have you ever hated someone so much that you want to erase their presence? Too scared of Azkaban to kill that person? There's a much simpler solution ! __Make that person disappear, not bodily, but in other people's memories ! It is a swift, effective way. To make someone disappear from others' memories, all you must have is a sample of hair of that person. Then, make this simple ritual : _

_Place the hair of that person on the ground. Draw a circle around the hair. The circle must be of 1m in diameter, and the hair must be placed at the exact center of the circle. The circle can be drawn with chalk or coal. In either case, the circle must be clearly visible. Then, draw a square that must be perfectly encased in the circle. All its corners must be on the circle. Thus, the hair is also at the center of the square. _

_Grind two dried Oblivia mushrooms. Sprinkle the powder in the square only! _

_Then, point your wand towards the hair, and say: "Oblivia omnia". _

_This spell will affect all people who have had a connection to the person whose presence you want to erase. It is quite useful since you do not have to select whose memories who you want to affect. _

_Concerning spiritual murder and conservation of the body, please refer to page 294._

_Concerning the erasure of someone's memory, please refer to pages 143 (potion), 295 (spell), 297 (spell), 342 (potion), 356 (potion), 497 (ritual). _

_Concerning other possibilities related to someone's disappearance in others' memories, please refer to pages 358 (spell affecting only few people, whom you have to select), 359 (spell), 400 (ritual), 987 (ritual that only magical races can achieve), 988 (ritual), 1056 (potion). _

"Since we remember Harry but Mom and Dad do not, perhaps it is the effect of a spell that did not affect everyone" the twins muttered in unison.

They quickly went and found the 358th page and began reading it hungrily.

_"The memories related to someone can be erased and the people affected by the spell can be carefully chosen. This spell is useful for people who want to hide from pursuers._

_However, you have to be in front of the people you want to cast the spell on so you might have to take some risks. Furthermore, this spell is really hard to cast without making any mistake. Thus, it may not be flawless if you cast it for the first time. _

_If your casting of the spell is wrong, the person might still remember you. At worst, you might simply erase all of that person's memory. _

_The __words in themselves are simple : Obliviscor Omnes. Make sure you heavily stress the "li" from "Obliviscor" and the "es" in "Omnes". Your wand should be at head's level when you cast the spell but when you have to twirl it once clockwise before pointing it at the person facing you. _

_Concerning spiritual murder and conservation of the body, please refer to page 294._

_Concerning the erasure of someone's memory, please refer to pages 143 (potion), 295 (spell), 297 (spell), 342 (potion), 356 (potion), 497 (ritual). _

_Concerning other possibilities related to someone's disappearance in others' memories, 359 (spell), 400 (ritual), 987 (ritual that only magical races can achieve), 988 (ritual), 1056 (potion). _

"Hmm could it be this one?" George muttered

"I doubt it. Harry -"

"couldn't have personally encountered Mum and Dad" George nodded, wearing a grim expression.

The twins sighed simultaneously. There had to be at least 10 pages concerning the disappearance of someone from others' memories !

"How about we look at the ritual that's done only by magical races?" George suggested.

"Yeah, sounds good" Fred flashed a quick grin to his twin and quickly went to page 987.

_A ritual that only magical races can achieve ! _

_Few information exist on this ritual. The author of this book being fully human, and the magical races being quite reluctant to disclose their secrets, the author will explain the very few bits he knows. _

_This ritual is most suited to the vampires, the Veelas, the Elves, and the Nymphs. There are two occurrences of Sirens using this ritual, and there is a possibility that some Sylphs may have used it too, though it had never been attested. _

_The ritual requires the ritual maker's own blood, and a dead Royal Cobra, symbol of Time and Destruction. There is a possibility that the ritual may also require other people's memories that include the ritual maker although the author of this book does not know how the ritual proceeds. _

_For more information on this ritual, the author of the book recommends looking at specialized books about magical races, or persuading a magical creature into explaining the actual content of this ritual. _

"Does not really help" Fred sighed dejectedly.

"Why don't we go and ask help from Harry's friend? You know, the tall, funny one? He might know something" George suggested.

"I was just thinking about it" Fred smiled.

* * *

_Little Butterfly is isolated in an unknown world but friends are never too far away.

* * *

_

**9, November 1964. Somewhere in the Lair's Forest. **

"Honestly, what were you thinking?" Vladimir growled, keeping his voice as low as possible, though he clearly wanted to shout at the petite wizard.

Harry glanced at him and bit his lower lip. He knew he was at fault, but he hadn't been able to stop. He felt so much better…

"Sorry. There were Death Eaters killing other students and-"

"And you just acted recklessly in this stupid, crazy manner of yours" the vampire harshly interrupted in a stony tone

"Yes" Harry conceded, bowing his head in shame, "Sorry. I made you worry"

"Who said I was worried about you, you conceited boy?" Vladimir snarled, his fangs glistening with saliva as his lips suddenly curled upwards.

Harry merely looked at him with a tender look in his eyes. A barely noticeable chuckle escaped his lips and he found himself moving towards the older man. He stopped in front of Vladimir and opened his arms, engulfing him in a warm embrace. He heard the other man's breath hitch.

"Thank you for taking care of me" Harry murmured, burying his face in the vampire's cloak.

"You foolish boy" Vladimir whispered, all anger forgotten. The boy could somehow see right through him. Yes, he cared and worried for the boy. Yes, he couldn't help it. Yes, he was a fool for caring so much for such a crazy, hot-blooded boy.

Harry felt a hand sneak in his hair and gently pat his head. He hummed and closed his eyes, slowly relaxing in the man's hold as Vladimir put his arms around the lithe body of the wizard, returning the embrace.

"I really want to see Aïon. But the moment I started to fight…" Harry paused, not sure how to express his feelings. Vladimir kept quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"As soon as I uttered the first Expelliarmus, the magic just…She just rushed through my whole body, you know" Harry whispered, his voice laced with raw and unhidden emotions.

"I know. It's because She loves you"

"Perhaps" the petite wizard stopped once again.

"But you know, Voldemort was still the only one I really wanted to fight" he resumed in a low whisper.

"Do you still hate him?"

"I don't know. It's just that…When I faced him, my blood suddenly rushed to my head and- I don't know. I was just…It just felt so- normal. Yes, normal." Harry suddenly seemed to be talking more to himself than to his friend, and the tone of his voice became distant and soft with uncertainty.

"How so, Kreshnik?" Vladimir murmured in an affectionate tone, using his favorite wizard's surname.

"I remembered my previous fights with him. It felt so real- Yes, of course, it was real. But, it felt as if- as if everything was just _**right**_. I felt I was back to our time and - and Voldemort was still there trying to kill me. And Aïon was still alive… Yes, so right. When I see him-, he- … I- avoiding his spells…avoiding his spells and hexing him…it makes my body shake with pleasure"

"It's an addiction, Kreshnik"

"I know. It's bad - "

"Not at all. You need to have an addiction to live for. Aïon cannot be your only addiction, you know? To love is one thing, to hate is another one. You need to have both to make a life"

"You think so?" Harry untangled himself from the other man's hold and stared at him.

Vladimir felt his heart thump. Whether it was out of pain or out of love, he did not know. But the boy's eyes held such an innocent look that he could only nod wordlessly. It reminded him that Harry was only 20 years old. He was only a child. A child who had seen many deaths, who had been continuously betrayed, but nonetheless, a child.

He affectionately stroked the smooth raven hair.

"Let's get you back to school" Vladimir gently whispered.

"Yeah"

Before apparating away, Harry suddenly tugged at Vladimir's sleeve. He watched his older friend with sad eyes.

"Have you seen Vapula since you got back here?" he murmured.

"I have" His heart seemed to constrict even more and even though he was a vampire, he briefly wondered if his heart would explode from feeling too much.

"I see" the two men fell into a deep silence.

Harry stared in emptiness, reminiscing what seemed to have happened only the day before. He could still see her...Vapula...crippled.

_"Vapula !" _

_Harry barged into the room. The obscurity made his heart clench. He was a creature of the Dark, but as a human and as a wizard, he had learned to love warmth. Nonetheless, he could make out the tall form of the woman lying on the bed. Her long black hair was sprayed on the sheets, like lithe snakes. She turned her head upon hearing the boy._

_"Eliel"_

_"Are you-"_

_"I'm fine, Eliel" She tried to smile but found that her lips wouldn't obey her so she settled for a grim chuckle._

_"Alecto and Arioch…Was it them?" he asked, his voice shaking with undisguised hurt and sorrow._

_"You do not have to know" the woman gently chided him, as if he was a curious child._

_"I need-" he paused. He felt the muscles of his throat twitch, and recognized there the harbinger of tears that threatened to fall. He clenched his teeth and tensed, trying to suppress his tears. _

_"You do not need to know, Eliel. I am perfectly fine" she slowly extended her hand and softly patted his head, in an attempt to soothe and comfort him. _

_Harry bitterly thought about the incongruity of their situation. She was the one injured, but he was the one being comforted. _

_"You're not fine" He shot back in a raspy voice, veiled with tears, as he shook his head._

_"You're not fine, damnit!" He shouted "You're…Vlad told me you're crippled! Crippled…"_

_He finally burst into tears and his heavy sobs echoed in the vast room. He fell to his knees, burying his head in the sheets that held Vapula's scent. He felt his tears moisten the fabric and desperately tried to stop himself from showing such a weak side of his to the woman he admired most. _

_"I may be crippled, but it does not matter to me, Eliel" Vapula gently said, as she reached once again for the boy, softly grabbing his shoulder. _

_"But-"_

_"I value my books more than my physical condition, Eliel. I do not like going on missions, nor do I fight often. Why would I have the need for a perfectly healthy body?"_

_"But it's…"_

_"Sad?" Vapula smiled. _

_Harry lifted his head up and stared at the woman whose face was half shrouded in the obscurity. He tried to find her brown eyes with his own, only to stare at murky shadows._

_"Yes" he admitted_

_"Do not be sad for such a flimsy thing. I am perfectly content with the present situation"_

_"But you're- Won't the others …"_

_"Try to take advantage of my being crippled?" she finished the sentence._

_Harry nodded, his throat constricted with emotion. How could she stay so calm? So … radiant? The sight of her smile made him want to scream with frustration._

_"Yes, they could. But apart from Alecto and Arioch, few people have interest in killing someone whose role is to read and collect information on human sciences"_

_"Still…"_

_"Let it go, Eliel. There is no need for you to hate Alecto or Arioch for this. I ask of you, please do not do anything reckless"_

_"I won't do anything reckless, I promise. But I can't promise you I won't hate them… I already-"_

_"I know" Vapula interrupted him. She beckoned him to sit by her side and Harry rose up from the floor to do as she asked._

_She brought the wizard__ close to her and made him rest his head on her shoulder. She affectionately and almost motherly stroked his hair. He closed his eyes, but did not manage to sleep. He could not sleep. He was trying to imagine how Vapula had felt when she had been injured. Had she felt pain? Had she screamed? _

_"You know, vampires are not invincible, nor are they immortal, Eliel"_

_"I know"_

_"Being crippled is quite fine. It is better than dying" Vapula remarked pragmatically_

_"Hn" Harry half opened his eyes, suddenly feeling that his eyelids were quite heavy, as if he was emerging from a long, hazy dream. He hesitantly added:__ "But still, I wish you were not crippled"_

_"I know. But things do not always go the way you want" the wise vampire replied softly._

_Harry nodded and whispered a brief "I'm glad you're fine", before he closed his eyes once more. This time, he slept a long time. When he woke up, Vapula had fallen asleep too. Her face was serene and a small smile adorned her lips. _

_He glanced at her arms and his heart clenched as he took in the sight. One of her arms had been cut off. He let his eyes wander down to the feet. One leg had been partially cut at knee-level. Perhaps she would heal with time, though it was unlikely to be so. _

_But, as he stared back __at her face, he suddenly thought : "Everything is fine. She's still alive". That was when he suddenly realized that he had gained more knowledge and more humanity than he had thought it possible by staying with the vampires. That was also the moment he made a silent, secret vow never to let another loved one be hurt because of him - a vow that was to be shattered a few months later._

A warm hand held his shoulder and made the wizard blink back to reality. He struggled to let out a faint smile that showed his emotion and he allowed Vladimir to bring him closer. The vampire smelt of damp wood. Harry inhaled deeply, thinking about Aïon's own fragrance. Aïon smelt more of fresh leaves and plum blossom. However, from time to time, Harry would think that Aïon reeked of blood, and would suddenly be reminded of how feared Aïon was for his fighting skills.

As they disappeared in a hazy blur of colors, Harry took a last glance at the Lair, his thoughts straying back to Vapula's crippled body and radiant smile. And he suddenly found himself wishing that he was more powerful so he could protect his loved ones.

Power...was everything he needed.

_

* * *

_

_Little Butterfly was thrilled with the excitement of a fight. But can he manage to stay alive and sane when memories __of powerlessness come back to haunt him?

* * *

_

I will here introduce the hierarchy in the Nachimir Clan (Vladimir's Clan), as well as the different clans I talked about in this chapter. Some are yet to be introduced, and those who I talk here about are not described in great details.

Thus, the next update will not be a chapter per se, but a long description on the organization of the various Clans, as well as a list of the physical and psychological characteristics of the main vampire characters.

I will also explain the hierarchy and the difference of status (meaning the difference between Pureblood Vampires and Ex-humans turned into vampires) between vampires.

**- The Council** is the deciding power in the **Nachimir Clan** ("Nachimir" means "the start of peace" in Russian). The council regroups the 10 most powerful vampires, meaning the Leader (Vladimir) and the 9th most powerful "normal" vampires.

*** #1 - Vladimir Aleksänder Lirim**

***** **#2-Aïon Ambrozij **

*** ****#3 - M****á****goa Ervin ("M****á****goa" means "grief" in Portuguese and "Ervin" means "Warrior friend" in Romanian)**

He is only briefly mentioned in this chapter.

*** ****#4-Vapula Besnik (Besnik = "faithful", "loyal" in Albanian)**

"Vapula" is originally the fallen angel of the philosophy, handicraft and sciences. Vapula Besnik is here a friend of Harry and a loyal follower of Vladimir. She likes to have her own fate in her hands and passes her knowledge to Harry. She has been crippled by Alecto and Arioch in what will be revealed to be an ambush.

*** #5****-Alecto Lirim**

*** #6 ****- **I have yet to introduce him

*** #7**** - **I have yet to introduce her

*** #8****-Aislinn Sofron ** **(Sofron in Russian = the pacifist. Comes from the greek Sophosunè = temperance)**

"Aislinn" is originally the fallen angel of Protection and Healing, and protects the ones who are soon to die. She is similar to a reaper as she helps their souls get to their place of resting and she helps the healing process of those who are to be saved

Here, Aislinn Sofron is the Healer, at the Royal Palace i.e. the Lair. She usually accompanies other vampires when there are important battles, so as to heal anyone who could be injured. She is in fact a friend of Harry and is deeply loyal towards Vladimir.

*** #9****-Arioch Ungureanu **

*** #10**** : **I have yet to introduce him.

**- Nachimir Clan** ( "Nachimir" means "start of peace" in Russian)

The leader is Vladimir.

**- Smerenie Clan ("Smerenie" means "humility" in Romanian) **

Their leader is Anmael Luca.

********Anmael Luca ("Luca" in Romanian = "Light")**

Anmael is originally the fallen Angel of puzzles and confusion, watching over those who have been confused, and takes their confusion as her own, relieving their spirit.

Here, Anmael Luca is a peaceful and great leader, working together with her sister, Anarell Luca, as the holders of troubles, taking the weight of others' problems onto their own shoulders.

-** Demut Clan ("Demut" in German" = humility)**

The meaning of "Demut" is the same as "Smerenie" because the two clans are allies and the two leaders are sisters, thus many vampires have married between the two clans, and the Demut Clan and the Smerenie Clan actually function as if they were only one clan.

Their leader is Anarell Luca.

****Anarell Luca **

Anarell is originally the fallen Angel who is the Keeper of Secrets and Lies.

Here, Anarell Luca has the power of foresight and knows almost everyone's secrets, keeping them to herself, only sharing the burden with her sister Anmael. She and her sister have worked together for eternity as the holders of troubles, taking the weight of the world's problems onto their own shoulders.

**- ****Siła Clan ("Siła" = "strength" in Polish) **

It is a newly-formed clan and thus, they will have to face many challenges from other clans, and they will later have to face a rebellion, led by none other than a close acquaintance of Vladimir's !

Their Leader is Alojzy Ryszard.

**** ****Aljozy Ryszard ("Alojzy" in Polish = "great warrior", and "Ryszard" = "powerful ruler")**

**- ****Sevastian Clan** **("Sevastian" in Russian = "honored")**

A clan in Russia. Their leader is Jovan Krasnov.

****Jovan Krasnov ("Krasnov" in Russian comes from the word "**_**krasny" **_** = "beautiful". "Jovan" is an old writing of "Ivan", it is a Slavic word and means "Yahweh is merciful")**


	5. About friends and foes How to use time

**Books **: Harry Potter

**Rating : **M

**Pairing : **Unknown (for you, that is)

**Status : **Incomplete

**Words **: 11 004

**Chapter : **5

**Disclaimer **: Same as before – I do not own _Harry Potter_. I only own the beautiful magical creatures, people from other times and all the others whom you do not know about when you've only read J.'s books.

**Author's note** : I had said that this chapter would be an explanatory one. Well, I changed my mind. Honestly, I felt it would be much easier to understand the different and miscellaneous rules of the vampire world and the relationships between the characters if I developed it in one go. However, I felt it would be more natural for the flow of the story to explain it bits by bits as the characters themselves deliver their thoughts and answer questions.

* * *

_**The best way to use time – About friends and foes**_

* * *

"_Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back"_

_- Harvey Mc Kay. _

* * *

**9 November 1964. Ravenclaws' Dorms. 11.30 pm**

Harry closed his eyes in a deliberately slow motion. He could feel the tip of his eyelashes tentatively brush against his cheeks before settling down. He wondered if tears would fall from his eyes down to his chin and neck. He patiently waited. No tears. No sobs.

Only the eerie silence.

He rolled on his side and squirmed a bit to make himself more comfortable. The blanket was much appreciated in the cold night. Being a magical creature did not mean that you lived in the woods, stark-naked and oblivious to the cold or the heat.

He could not help but reminisce about Vapula. The woman he had come to admire the most. The one who understood him best. Perhaps even better than Aïon and Vladimir. The memory of the female laying on the bed, crippled and smiling, kept replaying in his mind.

Someone once said that memories always come back to haunt you. The wizard now experienced it firsthand. And it was all the more poignant as time travel seemed to make memories surface easier.

Dwelling on Vapula's long hair, his thoughts led him to Aïon. He unconsciously fingered the pendant he had been given by his lover. The onyx pendant seemed to radiate heat as he retraced the outlines of the small tiger. His heart throbbed and he clenched the ornament tightly in his fist.

"Come back soon, Aïon" he whispered

The words lingered in the air before fading. The wizard inhaled sharply, the cold air filling his lungs and briefly making the back of his throat itch. The nights at the Lair too were usually cold during winter. He felt miserable. Everything he did, everything he saw or heard always reminded him, one way or the other, of the Lair. It seemed to him as though he was wallowing in self-despair and clutching onto memories that should be pushed aside.

"Memories…" he whispered to no one.

His breath drew out a small white cloud which floated in the air for a few seconds before dissipating. He tossed around, unable to find some peace of mind. If he closed his eyes, he knew he would dream of Aïon or the "Fates", as Vlad had called the woman. He was afraid to do so. He did not know what awaited him. Vlad had warned him that the Fates would severely retaliate for being defied, but he did not know the full extent of what this punishment could be. And if there was one thing he had learnt from constantly being in danger since his birth, it was that no one should be underestimated, especially when unknown.

A slight rustling of bed sheets echoed in the dorms. Harry was ready to put on some privacy spells when a whisper made him turn his head toward the nearest bed.

"You awake, Harry?"

"What is it, Theophile?" Harry replied in a low whisper.

A pause ensued and Harry fleetingly wondered if Theophile had heard him. After living with vampires, he was used to talking in a low voice. However, a slow but direct answer proved him wrong.

"Where have you been?"

Harry fully turned around. Discerning the outline of the other boy's form was not enough. He needed to see his face. To feel. To know. Vivid green eyes stared at brown ones. Theophile could not see him in the darkness, but Aïon's blood enabled Harry to see in the dark. As if sensing the relentless and scrutinizing focus, Theophile fidgeted. The dark-haired wizard could not see anything but mere curiosity in the other boy's eyes.

"I was outside" That was not a lie but there had been better and less vague answers…

"I can see that" There was no malice, no irony whatsoever in Theophile's tone. Harry assumed that the boy understood his wish not to disclose his secrets. Everyone had their own secrets.

"Were you outside of the castle?" Theophile added.

Apparently, Harry had been wrong. The boy did not understand that certain things were better left unsaid. He refused to answer to this question and did so. The other Ravenclaw was more tenacious than he originally thought because he blurted out words that left the time-traveller wary.

"Yesterday night, I was awake. I heard you….and that man."

When he received no response, Theophile plucked up the courage to ask a last question.

"Were you with that man? The…vampire?"

The confrontation was unavoidable and Harry quickly closed then reopened his eyes. He took a deep breath and got out of the bed as calmly as possible. He neared Theophile's bed and crouched to be at face-level with the boy.

"Do not whisper a single word of what you saw or heard last night" he simply whispered.

Theophile all but shivered. Was it from the cold or out of fear? He himself did not know. He slowly nodded and wondered if the new student was going to harm him. As if reading his thoughts, Harry spoke up.

"Take an oath" he ordered.

Hesitantly, Theophile extended his hand. He had never taken any oath before. He had seen his father take one before, but that had been a long time ago. He did not know how to proceed. His ignorance would not be a problem, he knew, because the other boy would ensure that everything would be perfectly done.

Cold, thin fingers wrapped around his wrist, encasing his hand in a strong though not painful grip. No wand was drawn out, no word uttered. And still, a golden frail-looking thread circled their wrists. Theophile wondered if Harry had really cast wandless, wordless magic. Deciding that it did not really matter, he shrugged and patiently waited for the instructions.

"Swear that you will not disclose any piece of information of any sort concerning what you saw, what you heard and what you said both yesterday night and tonight"

"I swear that I will not disclose any piece of information of any sort concerning what I saw, what I heard and what I said both yesterday night and tonight" Theophile repeated in a decided, serious manner.

The thread seemed to glow a bit brighter, then vanished. Small specks of gold seemed to have imprinted themselves on the cornea of Theophile for he could almost see them dissolving in the air. Or perhaps, the thread was really fading bits by bits, and Harry could see it too. The situation seemed so surreal that Theophile could not discern what was true and what was the product of his imagination any longer. But deep down, he knew that everything had been true, real, palpable, _**there**_.

He felt, more than saw Harry retreat back to his bed. The two boys exchanged no more words, each facing the ceiling, lost in their thoughts. And the light snores of the twins echoed in the room, as if to mock the darkness that seemed to hover around the two boys who had just agreed to leave some things unexplained and unsaid.

* * *

_Threads and bonds form __over time and space. Some are short-lived, others are eternal. Tangled in a web of lies, can Little Butterfly preserve his secrets?_

* * *

**10 November 1964. Voldemort's Headquarters. Somewhere in the UK. **

"Bring the summoned students here" Voldemort drawled.

Orion Black bowed down and immediately complied, scurrying over to the massive door. He opened it with deliberate deference and beckoned the young wizards. He spotted his son among the small crowd but did not acknowledge his presence whatsoever, instead veering his head back towards the lithe but daunting figure of the Dark Lord.

The girls and the boys slowly stepped in the vast room and gingerly headed towards their Lord. One by one, they bowed down as they passed by him and stood still in row as though they were soldiers. Voldemort could not help but let out a pleased smirk as he took in the scene. So young and yet so obedient.

His stare immediately focused on Lucius Malfoy who had been the one to provide the most useful information last time.

"Lucius Malfoy, have you gathered more information on the new student?" he asked

"I am afraid I could not, my Lord" The young Malfoy replied, keeping his eyes strained on the floor, obviously tense at the idea of the potential punishment he could be subjected to.

"And why is that?" his interlocutor replied in a sickeningly low voice that intended to be sweet though it was threatening all the same.

"Harry Evans has not done anything peculiar these last days. Furthermore, his performances in class seem to be quite modest, my Lord. However, he seems to be doing quite fine in Potions, a class which I am attending together with him. He has paired with Severus Snape, my Lord, and the two of them seem to be in good terms"

Voldemort looked thoughtful as he squinted his eyes at the young blonde. His follower did not seem to have noticed, but this last piece of information was important. His hand was feeling a bit itchy and he suddenly felt the urge to use it. Instinctively, he pointed his wand at the young Slytherin and snarled what had become a daily word to him.

"Crucio"

He watched with dispassionate eyes the blonde struggle against the pain before giving out and writhing on the floor. He stopped the spell with a light flicker of the fingers and signaled him to get up immediately.

"And who are you to deem these performances of his modest, Lucius Malfoy?"

"It has been my mistake, my Lord. Please excuse me this time. I shall not repeat the same mistake twice. Of course, I seem to have overestimated the importance of my word in this" Lucius's voice was slightly shaking due to the lingering pain that coursed throughout his body, but he remained steady on his feet.

"It is not that you _seem_ to have overestimated your worth, you actually _have_, Lucius Malfoy. Do not disappoint me next time" he bit back in a sharp and condescending tone.

"Of course, my Lord" Lucius bowed for what seemed to him the umpteenth time.

The dark Lord's lips curled downwards in a condescending sneer. Lucius Malfoy was loyal, eager to show his devotion, strong, brilliant and well-bred, but he sometimes lacked common sense. A follower, however brilliant he may be, is to listen to his Lord and never assume on his own. Lucius Malfoy was not there to display his brains. Voldemort supposed it was what people called the eagerness of youth, but he preferred to tame it rather than let it pass. It would not do well if that Lucius Malfoy kept that vice.

He wordlessly motioned the youngest Malfoy to get back into the ranks. The blonde boy bowed and walked backwards with as much grace as he could mustered, still feeling the effects of the Cruciatus curse.

"I want you to monitor each and every move of both that student and Severus Snape. From what I heard, Severus Snape could be useful due to his skills in potions. Is that true, Lucius?"

"Yes, my Lord" Lucius immediately replied. His voice was still trembling, though it was nearly unnoticeable, but it was enough for Regulus to cast a quick worried glance at his friend.

"And why is it that neither you, nor you, Regulus, reported on this specific detail?" The voice was warm and the tone, sweet but they all knew better. The underlying anger was showing through.

"Forgive me, my Lord. Severus Snape is good at making Potions, indeed. However, he has not any other skill, nor has he expressed the wish to be one of us" Regulus stepped forward.

"Forgive you?" Lord Voldemort could almost have laughed. A flash of deep red flit across his eyes as the simmering fury finally started to fully show through.

"Forgive you?" he repeated, "Do not test my patience, Regulus Black. Did you think you could make me forget of Lucius Malfoy's presence? He is as much a failure as you. Stepping forward will not help you save your friend of another punishment"

A sick and twisted smirk settled on his handsome face as he lifted his wand in a deceivingly dismissive movement. Orion Black watched, completely mesmerized by his master's power, as the dark Lord cast the Cruciatus curse on Lucius Malfoy and Orion's own son, Regulus. Relentlessly focusing on the dark Lord, Orion Black did not feel an ounce of guilt, nor did he feel any paternal desire to protect his son and take the curse upon himself. He had chosen his side since long. He did not belong to his wife, he did not belong to his son. He did not belong to his family. He did not even belong to himself. He belonged to the dark Lord. Body and soul, magic and physical force, all of himself had been given to the dark Lord the day he had accepted to be branded.

Branded. Like an animal. It did not matter that others thought of him as a shameless follower deprived of dignity and freedom.

For Orion Black, the dark Lord was a salvation. The shepherd who will lead him to glory and true freedom.

He almost revelled in seeing his son writhe in pain. He could see his son's suffering, feel it, taste it. Fear could almost be _**smelt**_. And still, only pride and joy surged through his whole being. Instinctively, he searched for his Lord's magic. As he was reaching the almost palpable dark tendrils of the Dark Lord's magic, Lord Voldemort broke the curse and his magic withdrew.

"I want you both to keep a close eye on the two boys"

"Yes, my Lord" Lucius and Regulus chorused with great effort.

"My Lord, if I may speak up" Agatha intervened.

Lord Voldemort stared at her in a disquieting and cold manner. He finally motioned her to speak up. Agatha then straightened her back, still respectful as her eyes focused on the robes of her Lord and not on his face. Her voice spread in the vast room, clear and melodious though her way of uttering the words was harsh on the ears.

"I attend DADA classes along with the new student, Harry Evans. I have witnessed a peculiar scene. The new student's magic briefly lashed out. It was unintentional, but I could feel it. May I say, my Lord, that Harry Evan appears to be quite powerful. However, he seems to be hiding his powers and he does not display his magic. If I may ask you, my Lord, I think that I could help Lucius and Regulus in their monitoring of Harry Evans".

She kept her eyes trained on the ground as she waited for the answer. She could her own breathing and suddenly wondered if the Lord could hear it too. Could he tell that she was scared? However, she quickly dismissed the thought. She needed to be fully focused on the present situation. No day-dreaming.

And soon enough, the cold and harsh voice of Lord Voldemort brought her back to reality.

"Although I am pleased with what you have just reported to me, it seems that Lucius Malfoy's cheekiness has rubbed off on you, Agatha Nott. You are not the one in charge, and if someone decides whether or not you can help Lucius and Regulus in their task, it will be me, not you"

Immediately, Agatha knew what to expect and braced herself. But the Crucio never came. Her surprise almost made her jerk her head up and she barely refrained herself from doing so.

"Do not make that mistake again, Agatha Nott. I only let this mistake pass because your report was useful" Voldemort warned her.

"Yes, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord" She bowed and stepped back into the ranks.

Although she had been fully prepared to endure a Cruciatus curse, what followed had not been expected.

"Legilimens"

Without being warned, she felt her whole body shake with fear and anger. Anger because it was an _**invasion**_. Fear because she could feel _**the power**_. Instinctively, her mind tried to erect shields, to fight back against the intrusion. She willed herself to back down although it proved to be difficult.

Lord Voldemort flitted from one memory to another. He was not being completely brutal, but he was not particularly careful. He did not want to damage the sanity of a follower, but he also saw no need to treat the girl as a fragile, precious thing. Upon finding what he sought, he dived in the memory.

_The boy was there. _

…_._

_Knowledgeable. Very knowledgeable. How many books were there on this particular use of the Patronus? Did he himself use the Patronus to send messages?_

…_._

_Magic. Such powerful magic. So alluring. Definitely felt it._

…

_Liar. You did not cast the Patronus._

…

_Prey._

The young girl was panting, heavy puffs of breath passing through her bleeding lips and exhaustion was clearly written across her face. Voldemort paid her no attention. She would recover in time. What was most important was the boy. He had felt it through Agatha Nott's memory. The power.

Such power would be dangerous if in the hands of Dumbledore. But in his own hands, what could it become? The boy had a magic as powerful as the darkest families' heirs such as Regulus Black or Lucius Malfoy, although he would never tell the two boys this fact. He found them already quite arrogant and saw no need to aggravate this particular trait of theirs.

What was peculiar was the boy's need to hide his power. Why would he do so?

Eventually, Lord Voldemort would obtain this wizard, win him to his cause. It was crucial to make him join the dark Lord. Each and every skilled wizard counted in a war. Every king needed an army of pawns to protect him with their lives.

However, a niggling doubt kept echoing in his thoughts. Where had he already felt this particular magic?

* * *

_Coincidences are never real. Fates create people, play with them and discard them._

_Will Fates' creations let Little Butterfly walk away with his desired prize?_

* * *

**10 November 1964. Hogwarts. Dungeons. Potions' class. **

"Hey there" Harry called out Severus as he settled down on his chair.

"Hello" Severus blandly replied in a quiet voice.

The two boys shared a knowing look and looked over to the blackboard where instructions had been written beforehand.

_Fides_. A potion which ensured the loyalty of whoever drank it. It was a high-level potion as its preparation required not only carefully chosen ingredients but also a very detailed and precise brewing.

"Sliced Dragon scales, belladonna powder, dew drops, crushed Unicorn's hair, aquamarine powder, sliced snake's skin…I'll go and get the ingredients" Harry told Severus before going up to the cupboard next to the front desk.

Severus imperceptibly nodded and began to set up all the tools that would be needed. He eyed with a critical look the sharpness of the knife and let out a mild frown upon seeing that it was not to his liking.

Unbeknownst to him, Lucius observed him from behind and wondered what had happened between the two quiet, withdrawn boys. Since his confrontation with the new student in the Slytherins' dorms, he had not been able to talk with Severus. What had prompted such a warm acceptance on Severus's part ? What was so special about Harry Evans ?

Was it that Severus longed for company and Harry Evans had been the first one to extend his hand ? Was it because Harry Evans did not seem to care about what people thought of Severus ? Was it Harry Evans's surprising ability to understand Severus's train of thought ?

Miscellaneous questions swirled round and round in the Malfoy heir's mind, and none of them could be answered to with the few information he had as of now.

Still discreet in his observation, Lucius watched as Harry came back with all the ingredients. The Ravenclaw put them on the table and immediately began to slice the dragon scales after handing out the dried belladonna to Severus so he could crush it into powder. The two boys set out to work in silence, their movements precise and effective although one could see how much more skilled Severus obviously was. While Harry's good work in Potions was due to his being conscientious and detailed, Severus worked with as much carefulness but also with the intuition that only a potion genius could achieve.

Soon enough, all the ingredients were perfectly prepared and the duo had begun to put the dew drops and the belladonna powder in the caldron. Lucius had absent-mindedly sliced the dragon scales while observing the two, but he knew he could rely on Regulus who, indeed, was doing all the work.

Curtis Jacobson walked by them, eyeing with an approving nod the preparations. If he ever noticed Lucius's obvious lack of motivation, he said nothing. As he passed by Harry and Severus, he came to a halt and positively beamed.

"Ah ! Once again, good work !"

Severus did not even bother looking up, and Harry dispassionately stared at his teacher.

"Thank you, sir" he replied in a soft voice.

The small smile could have passed for a genuine one, were it not for the jaded eyes that accompanied it. However, Mr Jacobson did not seem to notice it and flashed back a smile of his own.

Severus had not been fooled by that little act of Harry's. But he had already learnt that the new student was a riddle that would not be easy to figure out. Not that he wanted to, mind you. He knew how to preserve others' privacy. After all, he himself liked to have his own little secrets. People without secrets were always so much more boring. Harry Evans was definitely not one of those predictable, plain, uninteresting people like James Potter.

"You seem rather talented at Potions, Harry. How about studying with me ?" Lucius asked out of the blue, earning him a raised eyebrow on Regulus's part and a blank stare from Harry who returned his attention to his potion as quickly as he had turned around.

"Are we friends, Lucius Malfoy ? I would rather have you calling me by my last name, please" Harry replied in a carefully neutral tone.

If his attention had been drawn to the blonde, he quickly resumed his potion-making and scrutinized the bubbling liquid, trying to find any potential fault in it. However, Malfoys did not take kindly to being ignored, and Lucius immediately made it known to the brunette as he called out to him once again.

" You are right. We are not friends. Not yet, at least. I would like it very much if you could help me in Potions, Harry Evans. Think of it as a tutoring. I can also tutor you in another subject if you want, as a payback" Lucius sweetly said.

Severus tried not to show his displeasure. Harry Evans was the only one who cared enough -or so Severus liked to think, since it was hard to know what exactly Harry thought and felt- not to give a damn about what others said about "the greasy git Snivellus". Hell, if he would hand him over to Lucius !

"I am trying not to spoil the potion, Lucius Malfoy and I would immensely appreciate it, if you did not disturb me with your chatter. I am not inclined to tutoring you, nor befriending you" Harry replied in that same bland and dispassionate voice of his.

Jaw clenched and eyes blazing, Lucius Malfoy looked nothing but irked. Regulus thought that if looks could kill, Harry Evans would be long since dead, burnt to the core, brain crushed, limbs bloodied and mouth open in a silent scream.

On the other hand, the Black heir did not fail to notice Severus's obvious relief at his…friend's - or whatever Harry Evans could be called - answer. Possessive much ? Regulus thought with a sneer. The black sheep better enjoy his only friend while he still could…No one escaped the clutches of Lucius Malfoy, and Harry Evans was not going to be an exception. Soon, Severus Snape would go back to his boring, black and white life.

As soon as the lesson ended, Severus and Harry headed to the library since neither of them had classes till the end of the day. However, they soon found their path being blocked by Regulus who kept his eyes trained on Harry.

"Would you like to join us in the Slytherins' common room?" the Black heir asked in a tone he carefully kept neutral.

"Direct confrontation…not really what I would have expected from a Slytherin like you, Regulus Black" Harry replied.

Regulus said nothing but he shot a knowing look over the two boys' shoulders, and Harry understood that Lucius Malfoy was just behind them. They were perfectly cornered. Like animals.

He shot a quick look over to Severus and that was the only warning the quiet boy received before he was yanked forward by Harry. In a blur of colors, Harry threw his elbow in Regulus's stomach and rapidly ran away with Severus in tow.

Physical handling was not something he liked to resort to, but if needed, he was perfectly able to get out of tricky situations. He gripped Severus's hand, not caring if his hold was too tight, turned left twice, then right. He put his palm on the base of a statue that stood there, and applied a slight push on it. The stone on which the statue had been placed moved backwards while elevating itself by two inches.

Severus watched, fascinated, as a small staircase appeared. He let himself be yanked downstairs by the Ravenclaw, unable to think calmly. He heard the opening close behind them and a quick Lumos coming from Harry let Severus agape. Now that there was light, the Potion prodigy could see that what he had thought of as a small corridor was in fact one of the many alleys that ran through the castle's underground.

"That's a -"

"An underground Hogwarts. Yes" Harry replied, a smug smirk playing on his lips.

"How come we don't – I don't know..."

"Secret passages. Useful in wartime. And when you're late too" he added with an amused laugh.

"You're new here. Last time, the kitchens. Now, this. How do you know ?" Severus said suspiciously.

Harry's light steps abruptly came to a stop. He turned around and faced Severus.

Upon seeing his – who was Harry Evans? His friend? – friend..., Severus noticed that the shadows lurking in the eerily green irises seemed more apparent now than before. Maybe it was because they were plunged in a semi-obscurity, Severus could not say.

"You understand better than anyone that secrets are what makes a man" Harry said.

The words were simple, the sentence short, the voice steady, and the warning perfectly clear. Severus lost himself in the shape of the thin lips that had just uttered those words, in the color of the glimmering eyes that stared at him, in the curve of the jaw that was deliciously tightened in an effort not to snap at him.

"That's true" the pale dark-haired boy replied in a whisper.

Harry let out a rare smile. Genuine. And Severus almost thought he had imagined it for it disappeared as quickly as it had bloomed on the usually stony face.

"Let's go. We should reach the Ravenclaw dorms soon"

* * *

_A man may be made out of secrets, but Little Butterfly is a much easier being to dissect. Secrets can be drawn out with time and persuasion._

* * *

**10 November 1964. Hogwarts. Ravenclaws' dorms.**

As soon as Harry's companion stepped in, all heads swiveled towards the duo and conversations ceased at once. An eerie and gloomy silence settled itself in the room and the crackling of the logs in the fire could distinctly be heard.

"Come with me. It's over here" Harry gestured over to the door of the room he shared with the three other boys, as if he had not noticed the blatant discomfort of the Ravenclaws.

"What is he doing here?" a girl speaked up before Severus could take a step.

The quiet boy turned his green eyes towards her, though not really looking at her. Cocking his head to the side ever so slightly, his voice echoed in the deceptively empty air.

"Ravenclaws know better than to discriminate"

"He is unwanted here" another boy replied.

"I want him here" Harry seethed.

At that moment, Elena felt the need to step in. She somehow knew that she had to lest he took out his anger on his Ravenclaw fellows.

"Harry is right. We should let him in. Now, go back to what you were doing and behave like Ravenclaws do" she urged them.

They looked over at her, sending dubious stares, but resumed their activities nonetheless. They accepted her authority as such. Being a Prefect was not all about deducting points and explaining the rules. It was also a matter of trust and friendly, but firm power.

The two boys walked away and Elena was left staring at a plain, cold, big door. So much for helping out Harry... A tiny smile, a sad smile tinted with a sliver of joy and resignation made its way on her face and she sighed. She needed to pluck up all her courage and patience if she wanted to become closer with him.

On the other side of the door, Harry invited Severus to come and sit on the bed. Hesitantly, the other boy did so and watched as the Ravenclaw bent over to retrieve a small object from under his bed.

A quick flick of the wrist and Severus was now looking at a heavy-looking, huge trunk. Harry opened it and rummaged through what could truly be defined as a small library.

"Ah! Here it is!" Harry stood up straight and held out high a thick, leather-bound book.

Severus shot him a questioning look and the Ravenclaw only smirked before he threw him the book. Severus barely caught it with a clumsy move. His hands enclosed around the book, touching it, caressing it. "_The secrets of ingredients_" the title said.

"Seems interesting" he whispered.

"All yours"

At those words, Severus's head shot up. Round eyes full with incredulity and soon-to-be joy landed on the lithe Ravenclaw.

"I've already read it quite a few times. I am not particularly fond of Potions. Therefore, it seemed natural to give it to someone who appreciates this art"

Severus could not think of anything to say. "_It's too much" - "I can't" - "Why?" - "Thank you so much!" - "You shouldn't"..._all these words seemed to become one in his mind, the letters and the souds mingling together until nothing was left but a blurry mass. Sputtering like a commoner would not do. Not that he was royalty, but he had a strong sense of dignity.

So he settled for the only option left.

"It seems like a really great book"

Cold, very Slytherin-like indifference. And still, gratitude showed in his words. His whole being was bathing in childlike excitement and deep gratitude.

"Sure. You'll like it, I promise" Harry chuckled, not fooled by Severus's poor act.

A silence settled between the two boys, neither of them uncomfortable with it. Harry went on his bed, laying on his stomach, and watched under half-closed eyelids as Severus carefully, almost reverentially opened the book.

A crack was heard as the leather cover was suddenly folded after having been left unused for a long time. The pages released an old fragrance, a mix between humidity and dust, ancient potions and sunshine.

The properties of the Belladonna. The properties of the Mandrake. The advantages of plucking up herbs during a full moon. The dangers of -

"Put the book under the pillow" Harry interrupted his thoughts.

Glancing at his companion, Severus obeyed although he did not understand what could have caused such a strange command. Soon enough, the door opened and what could only be Harry's roommates stepped in.

"Harry ! 's it true tha' you came with a Slyth' ?" Alexis almost pounced on him, were it not for Alastor's strong grip and the quick reflexes of Harry who stepped away.

Wordlessly Harry pointed at Severus with his thumb.

"Woa ! 'N it's the black sheep!" Alexis exclaimed.

None of the boys flinched upon hearing the horrendous nickname. Severus only lowered his head and stared at his feet.

"How come you're speaking with such a heavy accent?" Harry asked without a care.

"His accent resurfaces only when he's really very excited" Alastor explained with a forgiving and fond smile.

"Hm" Then, turning his head towards Severus - "Severus, meet Alastor and Alexis".

" 'm so excited ! I've neva' seen you before ! I mean...not so close!" Alexis shrieked while stepping closer to Severus who seemed like a frightened rabbit.

Hilarious picture if Harry really thought about it. Who could tell the Severus Snape from now, a boy afraid of a hyperactive and overemotional Ravenclaw, would become the Dungeon Bat ?

* * *

_Upon discovering the world that is offered to him, Little Butterfly flies off and forgets the dangers inherent to his condition. _

* * *

**04 January, 1991. The Burrow. 01.15 pm**

Two weeks. Two long weeks filled with anguish. On December 24, they had gone to the Lair, using the Portkey Harry had offered them a long time ago.

They had only found cold and empty rooms. Laying on the desk was a letter. Crumpled and torn at the corners, obviously having been crushed many times in a iron fist.

And waiting for them in a dark corner of the throne room was Alecto. Eyes glimmering and lips furled over feral teeth, she had prowled over them, obviously delighted upon seeing them. Fresh meat.

They had heard about her craziness from Harry. He had warned them not to get too close to her. To flee. That's what they had done. But her last words, before they had vanished in a blur of colors and sweet smells, tugged forward by the Portkey, were still echoing in their minds.

" _Little Prince has gone to die somewhere he doesn't belong to !" _

Since then, they had rummaged through every available book in their house. Each and every ritual, potion, spell...they had studied everything. And they had yet to understand what was going on.

Fred sighed as George closed down one of the miscellaneous books that they had flipped through. Another book that proved to be unuseful. The twins briefly looked at each other and simultaneously flopped down on the bed. Their reddish strands of hair mingled, a perfect union between two sides of the same colour.

George rolled on his stomach and buried his nose in the sheets, closing his eyes that were red with tiredness. Fred extended a hand to pat him on the back. Silently, the words were clearly uttered through their fraternal bond which only them had ever understood.

_We'll find him._

They fell asleep and did not wake up when their mother called them for dinner. Molly Weasley climbed up the stairs and knocked on the door, only to be met with silence. She shrugged and carefully opened the door, stepping in the bedroom. Her two sons were holding each other's hand, deeply asleep.

"_D__ōð gē __wīllan tō cunnan ?" [Do you wish to know?]_

_**"Who is it ?"**__ Two voices echoed in nothingness._

"_Mīn bearn __bið__ Dryhten. Magon __gē helpan mē ?" [My child will be a Prince. Will you help me?]_

_**"Who … Harry ?"**_

"_Ah... __Mīn bearn... G__ē sculon munan. Help__aþ__ þisne bearn !" [Ah...My child...You must remember. Help this child !]_

_**"We don't know who you are -" **_

_**"Just tell us if you know anything -" **_

_**"Anything about Harry -" **_

_**"Tell us, please !"**_

"_Cumaþ ..." [Come...]_

When the Weasley matriarch set foot in her kitchen, her youngest son was eyeing with hunger the food. She glanced at him disapprovingly and sat down at the table.

"Are George and Fred coming yet or not?" Ron complained, whining like a child.

"George? Fred?" Molly shared a look with her husband and turned to look at her son.

As if suddenly waking up from a disquieting and eerie dream, Ron shivered. His head felt fuzzy, he couldn't quite think right. He shrugged it off and stared at his parents.

"Who's that?" he inquired, shoving a mouthful of potatoes in his mouth.

"But...you're the one who just mentioned them" his father pointed out.

"No, I didn't" Ron replied uncaringly.

Molly and Arthur Weasley frowned and let it go, putting some potatoes in their plates. Percy would not be able to come home and eat, since he had a lot of work at the Ministry. Bill was away in Bulgaria. Ginny had gone shopping in Diagon Alley with another female student.

They stared lovingly at the only child who had stayed at home. Ron was a real sweetie sometimes, Molly thought with a joyful sigh.

On the wall, the clock ticked a regular beat, the photographs of Molly, Arthur and Ron set on "at home" while the pictures of the Percy, Bill and Ginny were on "Outside".

* * *

_How much longer will it take for Little Butterfly to scream and break under the hands of Time itself ? _

* * *

**10-11 November, 1964. Hogwarts. Forbidden Forest.**

"Vlad!" Harry whispered.

The tall, dark form turned around, revealing slanted sea-green eyes. A small smile made its way on the vampire's face as he watched the young man come his way.

"Here you are, Eliel"

"Any news from Aïon ?" the hopeful tone in the wizard's voice did not escape Vladimir's attention.

He slightly shook his head. "No. I told you he would only come back in a year. You have to be patient and wait."

"Then why did you call me here?" Harry scowled. Vladimir chuckled and ruffled his hair. He sometimes forgot how childlike the young man could be. After all, compared to a 737 year old vampire, Harry was so much younger.

"I found your parents" the vampire replied sternly.

The widening of the eyes and the slight scowl were easily noticeable to Vladimir's well-trained eyes. Family was a touchy matter for the young wizard, what with all the lies surrounding his whole life.

However, the young man's answer was uttered in a soft and melancholic breathe.

"Where?"

"In an ancient and sacred forest 520 miles away from here"

"It's not very far..." Harry noticed with a pensive look, an uneasy frown settling on his brow.

"That would explain how Dumbledore came to know them" Vladimir aquiesced

The young wizard tilted his head to the side, as if his thoughts were burdening him, his glassy eyes gazing at nothingness, at something only he could discern between the dark green leaves of the trees. As if controlled by a puppeteer , he suddenly lifted his head in a shaky, abrupt motion and stared straight in the eyes of his older companion.

At this moment, the movement of his neck caught Vladimir's eyes. The wizard's neck was slender and its pale skin seemed almost sickly white without hues of warmsalmon pink, seemingly ready to break in a loud crack.

"When are we going?" Harry asked with a small smirk.

"Now" Vladimir replied with a grin of his own.

Harry took Vladimir's hand and squeezed it. It was him telling the vampire that he was ready to leave. But it was also something deeper, something undefinable, something that was there … almost there - not quite - and yet, so palpable. It was a sign of trust, of complete, limitless trust and a way to search for comfort in the older man's presence.

Vladimir clutched back the smaller hand in his own and that was the final warning before the two figures vanished in a swirl of murky grey clouds.

* * *

**10-11 November, 1964. Unknown Forest. 520 miles away from Hogwarts.**

They landed in a forest that was nothing like Hogwarts's Forbidden Forest. Harry's keen senses immediately caught the absolute pureness of the air – a distinct feature of all creatures' environments. The next detail which he noticed was the eerie stillness of the scenery. It was all it took for him to start removing his shirt, exposing a stark black symbol on his back, between his shoulders.

"Do you really need to do this ?" Vladimir asked with a tone of worry lacing his words.

"Of course. They'll soon be here and they won't hesitate to – err..._rough us up_ a bit before taking us to my – their …. well, to the Royals" Harry answered, a bittersweet smile settling on his face as he uttered the very last words.

And soon enough, they did not have to wait long before a group of men of women appeared all around them, encircling them as if to trap a wild beast.

"You are trespassing on our sacred grounds" a man who appeared to be the leader of this small group said.

Behind the two time travellers, the stern men gasped and shot a worried glance at the leader. Harry smirked under the warm eyes of the vampire.

"He's a vampire" A woman spoke up, her nose wrinkling in distate.

"Our peoples have signed a treaty a long time ago, miss" Vladimir shot back with an amused glance at his companion.

"Leader, you've got to see this !" One of the men who had just let their suprise show said, as he gestured his leader to come and see by himself.

A single movement of the head from the leader made him turn around the smaller dark-haired trespasser. His hands were rough due to the position of warrior he held in the tribe, but his grip was soft enough not to bruise the skin. After seeing what was engraved in the skin of the anonymous boy, he did not dare to hurt him.

Upon catching a glance at what had made his men so puzzled, the leader remained silent. Before his very eyes stood proudly the noble and revered mark that only the Royals could have. He shared a quizzical look with his fellow companions and stepped forward until his face was a mere inch away from the boy's.

Deep blue eyes stared in vivid green irises. The leader smirked.

"Indeed, you smell so pure. We should have noticed it earlier, he paused and then – But it is impossible, since our Royals are here, well alive. Besides, your..._association –_ he glanced at the vampire – is quite peculiar, won't you agree ?"

"My association is of no concern to you. If I smell as pure as you said, I request that you bring me to your Royals" Harry replied level-headedly.

"I don't think so" the other man breathed out, a glint of amusement shining dangerously in his irises.

Harry merely cocked a confident and inquisitve eyebrow at him, daring him to challenge the very boy who bore the Royals' mark. The leader did not hesitate, bringing forth a massive swirl of pale green leaves, wanting to trap the intruders inside.

"You need to do better" Vladimir intervened, slashing the leaves with an angry red flame.

The fire annihilated the leaves, leaving only a crisp and deliciously new scent of freshly burnt green behind. Harry's nose twitched ever so slightly. Vladimir took very seriously his protection, and for that he was grateful, but at times like this he also needed to prove that he could handle it on his own. It was not not a matter of pride. It was a matter of self-reassurance. Harry needed to prove to himself that he was not useless, that he was a free being and that he could act as he wished. He needed to know that he existed.

"Incarcere" he lazily uttered, a sly smirk making its way on his features.

Only the leader could avoid the spell. The other elves were brought down to their knees, bound by tight magical ropes which Harry had made sure could not be broken nor burnt. If the creatures' magic was always far stronger than that of the wizards, creatures also had the habit to underestimate the wizards' spells and Harry had quickly learnt to take advantage of this flaw. The majority of Elves, as many other creatures, were unprepared against an accomplished wizard, no matter what spells he used. They knew not how to react to this distorted, awfully human magic that was so different from theirs which was raw and unadulterated.

Even though the Elves could easily find some way to get rid of these bonds, Harry knew that they would not be able to find the solution so soon. All of them were quite young, even their leader, and the chances of them ever having been in contact with the human world were very slim.

Before the wizard had the time to take care of the leader, Vladimir extended his right hand, palm facing the sky. A small and soft-looking ball of fire burst alive, licking his flesh, until the vampire turned the palm of his hand towards the elf.

The man shot his opponent a contemptuous and disbelieving look. He may be younger than this vampire, but he was not dumb, nor was he untrained. He was one of the best of his generation. He could easily deflect such an attack.

However, what he expected never happened. The ball of fire never came straight at him – in which case, he intended to deflect it with a shield made of water. Instead, it quickly rose in the air until it was above his head. The elf glanced up and was ready to make his shield above, but the unexpected was yet to come.

Dividing into four smaller balls, the fire fell back on the ground, drawing thin lines of fire in the air as it quickly descended. The elf realized his error too late. A cage – a golden cage – had been made and he could not get out of it. No matter which elements he invoked, there seemed to be no flaw in this trap. It was not any kind of fire. It was laced with blood. A typical attack for a powerful vampire and the elf berated himself for being unprepared.

"Well done ! " Harry exclaimed in a happy tone.

His laugh rang through the rustling leaves and the birds seemed not to mind this intruder. Everything was back to normal – before they had set foot on this territory. The forest was _**alive**_ : the sounds, the smells and even the warmth of the sun – everything was as it should have been moments ago.

And somehow, Harry fleetingly thought it reminded him of something. A deep, warm and ever growing feeling surged from the bottom of his heart, and the boy could almost feel it thump along with his heartbeat, flow along with his blood in his veins, waxing and waningwith each breath he took in and out.

* * *

_Little Butterfly has found the way home and the cocoon is slowly closing itself around him._

* * *

**11 November, 1964. Lord Voldemort's private quarters. Somewhere in the UK. **

The pale shadows danced on the cold walls as the fire crackled. Every now and then, brushes of light caressed the angular features of Tom Riddle. The handsome man was seated with his long-time friend Nagini lying on his lap.

To an untrained eye, Tom Marvolo Riddle was not the epitome of the calm before the storm... Unmoving in his chair, the wizard was keeping his eyes strained on the floor, obviously thinking.

However, his back too stiff for the man to be at ease, his gaze was too focused not to be a glare, and his breath was too quick.

The man radiated with anger. His whole being was bathed in anger, dark translucent vibes emanating from him, wrapped around his body, pervading the whole room. His eyes were tinted with angry red and his knuckles were white from from clenching his fists too tightly.

The boy from the raid still bothered him.

The words kept on echoing in his head...on and on, he could picture the boy uttering his name with an amused smirk. The image haunted him. And Voldemort, the Dark Lord could not let such a thing bother him. He had a world to conquer, rules to impose. A mere, single boy should not have such an impact on his thoughts – he had to be eradicated. That was the simplest method.

"_Goodbye Tom..."_

Those words – ! Gritting his teeth, the Dark Lord let out a strangled, muffled hiss. Sensing her owner's distress, Nagini raised her head and flicked her tongue at him, caressing his chin.

"_What is wrong, Tom ?" _

"_Don't call me by that name !" _Tom hissed back, the burning red in his irises becoming more and more vivid, spreading to his skin, to his whole body. Anger was coming off of him in waves now, and Nagini could feel it – taste it.

"_I have always called you Tom. I knew you when you were Tom so it's Tom" _Nagini reasoned him with the few words a snake knew. Simple sentences were all she could do since animals and humans did not have the same vocabulary, nor the same ideas, but Tom always understood her and made sure she could understand him.

Upon receiving no response, Nagini hissed more forcefully, urging him to tell her what was troubling him. She was rewarded with a glare and a stern frown in front of which she refused to falter.

A small chuckle escaped Tom's lips as he reached out to pat the snake. Since his sixth year, Nagini had been his confident, his surrogate mother and perhaps, his only friend. Nothing he did could make her cower in fear.

"_There's a boy. He knows my name. My real name"_

"_He knows your – I forgot again ! … Your id – tent – ..."_

"_My identity. Yes, he knows"_

"_That's it – your identity. It's a problem"_

"_Of course"_

Nagini took a moment to observe Tom before speaking up again. _"Kill him"_

"_I was thinking about it. But I do not know who he is"_

"_Ask"_

"_I did. The other students do not know either" _

"_Wait. He will come. Snakes wait when there is a treat we want. Hunting takes energy. We wait. When the treat is near we bite and eat."_

"_I know. But for that, I need to know who … the treat is"_

"_No worries" _Nagini shot him a serious look reflecting wisdom and deep attachment _"Powerful animals always lure their treat. Without effort. He will come. No need to do anything"_

"_You mean he will come, willingly, to me?"_

"_Willingly?"_

"_I mean, he will **want** to come ? I don't have to force him or trap – "_

"_He will"_

Nagini sounded so sure and so affirmative that Tom did not doubt her, not for an instant. As he always did. He accepted her judgment right away.

It would be preposterous to think that he, the Dark Lord, obeyed a snake. It was not like that. It was something far more complicated, far deeper, something that went beyond words and even beyond feelings. It was all about intuitions and trust. Nagini gave him advice and he always listened to her. He could disagree with her, he could be afraid of bowing to a snake's piece of advice – but he always followed her advice for never once had she disappointed these idiots who crawled before him and dreamed of the stars but could not even perform simple missions.

"_You're right. I won't let him bother me"_

Nagini hissed softly, as if to mark her agreement and settled back down, resting her head on his lap.

Determinedly grabbing the map he was observing before his thoughts had become heavy with the ominous reminiscence of the boy's last words, he resumed his work. He scribbled a few words on the bottom of the map.

He tapped his chin, a habit he had kept from his childhood, and wondered whether the planned attack would go as smoothly as he imagined it. If they planned to breach in Hogwarts, they needed to study how to pull the school's wards down, and how to apparate in the school's vicinity without one of the old fool's alarm going offf.

He knew the Forbidden Forest was out of question. Any intruder would immediately set off Dumbledore's alarms and the whole school would be aware of their presence even before they could have set foot in the building itself.

They could not directly apparate in the school for the wards prevented them to do so.

The lake – no. The quidditch pitch – no. There needed to be another option. There _had_ to be another way.

The students would be in charge of performing the ritual to take the wards down. During that time, he would apparate with the older Death Eaters at a secure location.

If the ritual did not go according to the plans, he would have to do it himself. It meant that he needed to find a place that was not too far from Hogwarts so he could rush to the school if needed, nor too close so Dumbledore would not immediately detect their presence.

He carefully examined the map once again. He drew circles around Hogwarts, evaluating which facilities or which forest there were in the vicinity.

He crossed out the first three areas. They needed to be more than 50 miles away from Hogwarts. Less than that woud probably trigger the set-up defense spells and wards.

Since there would be some Death Eaters who had newly finished their studies, it would be best if the distance was less than 300 miles away. He did not need to lose wizards before the real attack began because some of them had been dismembered or locked up in another dimension while trying to apparate...

he crossed out the last two circles.

There was this small house which was inhabited since long ago. It was only 123 miles away from Hogwarts.

There was also this ancient castle whose current owners were presently in France. However, he had very few information on this building. While the owners were not known for having taken a particular side in the war, it did not mean the previous owners could not have set up defense spells meant for dark wizards, or even white wizards...

There was this forest too – quite remote but a convenient place for a huge gathering before an attack. But he needed to gather more information on this forest. Creatures could be living there and setting foot on their territory would surely upset them.

Leading pawns in a war was tiresome and complicated. But he knew the first ones to die would not be him, nor the ones he deemed useful, but the weakest ones – those he would happily send first as cannon fodder, straight in the enemy's clutches, happy to be rid of unwanted stupidity.

Besides he could not die. Not when he had his Horcruxes. This war was worth it.

And that thought was comforting.

He sighed and set on continuing to elaborate his plans.

* * *

_Little Butterfly has made new enemies, old enemies – all merging into one. _

* * *

**11 November, 1964. Unknown Forest. 520 miles away from Hogwarts. **

"Release my men, my Childe" a stern-looking man said as he approached the wizard and his vampire companion.

"Your Highness !" the Elves exclaimed, bowing to their waist as they caught sight of their Royal.

Harry and Vladimir unhurriedly set free the soldiers with a graceful movement of the wrist.

The Royal set his gaze on the intruders and his demeanor did not change as he quickly understood the identities of the two men. Strangely enough to the eyes of his soldiers, a quick upturn of his lips showed that the Royal was actually quite amused to see them.

"Did you not pledge allegiance to us, Royals ?" he asked his men.

"We did, Your Highness" they replied in unison, bowing once again.

"Then, please explain why you wanted to harm this Childe of mine" the Royal asked, a twinkle of sheer happiness dancing in his eyes.

"We – we...Your Childe, Your Highness ?" the soldiers' leader stuttered, at loss for words.

"My Childe. The young man you have in front of you. Surely, you did notice his mark"

"Yes. But – Your Highness...Please forgive my ignorance, but I was not aware you had a son"

"Not yet" The Royal replied, a strange wisdom and sense of ageing pervading his words.

The soldiers looked up at him with sheer incomprehension. The Royal chuckled and started walking away. Upon seeing that no one was following him, he turned around.

"Why don't you go home and rest?" then, facing Vlaidmir and Harry "Follow me, let us have a family reunion"

The Elves were quick to follow the orders, although they still did not understand what was happening. Harry and Vladimir glanced at each other, clearly as much amused by the weird situation as the Royal.

They walked a bit until they reached the small community in itself. Unlike his people, Vladimir noted, the Elves were all close to each other. It seemed more like a village than a city. Another striking difference was that, unlike the Lair which was basically a castle, what was obviously the Royals' dwellingwas not separated from the other houses by a barrier of any kind. It looked more or less like a primitive village, but the vampire was not fooled.

Upon researching Harry's parents, he had learnt that this community had been formed even before Vladimir's own people had settled themselves, built a city and chosen a leader. These Elves were one of the very first creature community.

Vladimir was pleased to note that he had correctly guessed which house was the Royals'. As soon as they stepped in, a tall woman greeted them with a soft and almost eerie smile.

"Welcome, dear guests" her pale blue eyes were immediately drawn to the wizard.

"I am most honored to meet you" Vladimir greeted back. Another smile on the woman's part was his only answer.

She and Harry kept staring at each other, and none of the people who were there dared to interrupt this silence. Vladimir noticed how flushed the boy had become, his pupils a bit more dilated than usual, his lips slightly parted and his shoulders tense.

Her smile felt foreign to him and yet, it felt strangely comforting as if he could see something beyond this smile, remember who he was through this smile. The feeling it sparked within him was slowly growing, threatening to burn his whole being out. He was afraid he might lose control in front of this woman whom he did not know how to name.

He could feel his being shiver – whether with fright, apprehension or excitement, he could not know. She suddenly extended her hand, palm facing the ceiling. He glanced back and forth between her face and her palm, as a frightened animal would. Very gingerly, he reached out with his fingertips.

As soon as his flesh came into contact with hers, he thought he was about to be swallowed by the brightening, ever-growing and unique feeling that had erupted deep in his stomach since he had set her eyes on the woman. His blood was recognizing her. His creature was calling out to her, his past was resurfacing in a tightly wrapped ball of lies and truths, delicately intertwined and embroided.

He met her gaze and knew that she too, had felt the strangely compelling and so delicious pull. A small smile which, unknown to him, was strangely similar to the woman's made its way on his face.

"Hello..." he whispered in the language of the Elves.

Warmth spread in his back as the mark throbbed with delight as he used his heritage, his true language – the language of the Elves.

"Hello..." she mirrored him. A sharp intake of breath from her almost broke Harry's daze but the next words completely stopped his thought process, " – my Childe..."

Vladimir stood by his friend's side, completely passive, knowing that it was a meeting of the greatest importance for Kreshnik – or rather, Eliel...The boy had been taken too deep in a swirl of angry red lies and deceptions for such a long time that family bonds had lost their importance, save for the one he shared with his godfather Sirius Black.

Now that he was disconnected from his own time, the wizard was given an opportunity to reunite with his family and with himself – with what he was, what he represented for this community of Elves.

Harry's jaw clenched and his muscles hurt from being so tightly strained. A slight trembling of his chin told Vladimir that his precious wizard was struggling to prevent his tears from rolling down his cheeks.

The petite boy's lips were trembling and opened and close rythmically, the words stumbling behind his teeth, unable to come out and echo in the room. It seemed as though the ever-growing and undescribable feeling would erupt from his chest at once as soon as the words came out, never to return again. He was afraid of uttering the word he had secretly cherished in his head for all these years, for he feared what this tight ball of anxiousness and emotion might trigger if it came out of his body.

Finally, he could not hold it any longer and his voice came out rushed in a raspy breath – a swimmer coming to the surface, to the _light_ after spending too much time under water.

"Mother" and the tears fell down freely on the skin, marring yet heightening the beauty of the pallid flesh.

* * *

_And far away, Little Butterfly can hear the fluttering of his mother's wings, calling out to him. And gingerly, he flies over to her side._

* * *

**11 November 1964. Hogwarts. **

It was early morning when they came back to Hogwarts. They had spent the night at the Royals' and had left with many questions left unanswered. It was about 5 in the morning and Vladimir worried for his wizard companion who, unlike the full-fledged vampires, needed to sleep. However, the meeting had been worth it.

A sharp tug on his sleeve made him look at the boy. Kreshnik's vivid emerald eyes seemed to tear apart his soul and dissect each and every one of his secrets. A sad smiles made its way on the vampire's face as he contemplated his Kreshnik – the wizards' _Harry Potter_ he thought disdainfully – who was obviously tired, both physically and emotionally for he had had a rough night, what with the meeting with his parents.

"Will you come tonight?"

"I'll find the time to" Vladimir assured Kreshnik with a soft look dancing around in his eyes.

He reached out for his favorite wizard and patted his hair. Words were not needed. Both knew what the vampire meant through this oddly gentle show of affection.

Kreshnik's first meeting with his parents had been highly emotional and the vampire leader had been reminded of how much a child Kreshnik still was. Compared to him, that is.

Faint traces of tears could still be made out if one looked up close at the boy's face. However, what these tears meant, Harry himself still did not know. It was because of the emotion. But what emotion ? Relief ? Happiness ? Sadness ?

Harry had had no time to think about it yet. For the moment, all of these feelings seemed to have merge in one greyish blur of colors within his very being, leaving his mind all fuzzy. It was the first time he had been able to see his parents face-to-face, and the rush of emotion was too much.

Besides, even if he had known about this matter for a long time, he still had to come around the idea that these people – his _parents –_ whom he had never seen before were the people who had cared – _would care_ – for him deeply, cherishing and loving him.

Since the time he had learnt the truth about his origins, he had often imagined what his parents would look like. He would often dream of a pale woman with dark hair and deep green eyes – a color which he was fond of, even now when he knew that the beautiful Lily Evans with her eerie Avada Kedavra eyes was not his mother – , with thin and soft rosy lips stretching up in a smile and a gentle frown of concern upon her brow.

In his mind, he would draw a tall man beside her. A tall and strong man, able to protect her. With dark wavy hair – like Sirius, he used to think – , kind hazel eyes and an air of authority around him.

However his parents had not been how he had imagined them. Her mother had blonde hair – which strangely reminded him of the Malfoys – and she certainly did not have green eyes, but blue ones. His father did not have dark wavy hair, but shoulder-length brown straight hair, his eyes were definitely molten amber and while he did exude authority, the most noticeable feeling he gave off was that of gentleness and care.

His parents were not how he had physically expected them to be. But they were as he had imagined parents would be – loving, kind and concerned about his well-being.

And that was enough for him.


End file.
